Anthony Tusla

Anthony Alfred Tusla, age 92, of Trumbull, passed into eternal life on October 1, 2023. He died peacefully at home with his wife beside him. He was the devoted husband of Margaret (Roberts) Tusla and they had been married 60 years. Born on April 14, 1931 in East Chicago, IN "Tony" was the son of Anton and Tekla Zimny Tusla. In 1953 he graduated "with highest distinction" from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering, and was a member of Tau, Beta Pi, the honor society of engineering. He was the first in his family to attend college and he covered his expenses by working in the steel mills. Tony began his career at M.B. Electronics in New Haven, where he worked on vibration equipment used in the defense industry. He took a leave of absence from M.B. to attend Naval Officer's Candidate School and then spent four years of active duty assigned to destroyer escort ships. He held positions in navigation, gunnery and "top secret" communications. After resuming his employment at M.B. Electronics, he was recalled for an extra year of active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1961. After completing his active duty obligation, he became part of the Naval Reserve Unit and was selected to be the Executive Officer of the U.S.S. Coates, a destroyer escort ship based in New Haven, CT. Tony accrued twenty years of military service, earning the rank of Commander, and he enjoyed telling "sea stories"  about his onboard experiences. In 1965 Tony joined the Nash Engineering Co. in Norwalk, CT as an applications engineer and was involved in the manufacturer of vacuum pumps used in the paper making industry. He supervised the inspections and installation of this equipment in the U. S. and abroad, and he retired from Nash in 1995 after 30 years of service. Tony loved a challenge and did not want to be idle, so he studied to become a tax preparer for H&R Block and eventually earned the title of Senior Tax Advisor. He was highly respected for the depth of his knowledge and for his personal touch in helping clients with their tax problems. He retired from H&R Block in 2016, at the age of 85. Tony was a "Mr. Fix it" in his younger days and did many of his own car repairs as well as electrical and carpentry work. He had a lot of determination and would work on a problem until he solved it. He had the distinction of keeping his riding lawn mower in service for over 45 years.  Tony took his family on many camping vacations and on trips to Europe as well. One of his greatest thrills was the recent discovery that he had five first cousins in Lithuania and he and his wife "Margo" visited them several times. Tony enjoyed working at his computer, doing crossword puzzles and attending the UConn Women's Basketball games, and watching old classic movies on T. V. He was a member of the Trumbull PC Users Group and was a lector at St. Stephen Church for many years. In his professional life and his private life, Tony was a person of great integrity. He was humble and non-judgemental and his main goal in life was to provide a comfortable home for his family to ensure a good education for his daughters. He was a patient and loving husband, father and grandfather. Tony is survived by his wife Margaret and two daughters; Diane Rousseau of North Adams, MA and Karen Taylor and her husband Paul of Fairfield, CT, and three cherished grandchildren Lindsay and Emily Taylor and Sean Rousseau, and a brother-in-law Paul E. Roberts and his wife Susan of Sleepy Hollow, New York. He is also survived by nephew and Godson Daniel Ciucki, also nephews Richard, William and Nicholas Ciucki. Also surviving him are nephews Benedict Radecki and James and Thomas Hus, Michael Zsoldos also a niece Evelyn Woodburn. He was predeceased by three sisters; Julia Radecki, Irene Zsoldos and Annette Ciucki, and a brother Leon Hus. Arrangements have been entrusted to Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Rd. Trumbull. At the request of the family there are no calling hours. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday October 7, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. directly at St. Stephen Church 6948 Main St. Trumbull. Interment will follow at St. John Cemetery Monroe, CT. Memorial contributions may be made to either St. Stephen Church or Thomas Merton Center, 43 Madison Avenue. Bridgeport, CT 06604. To leave an online condolence please visit www.mullinsfh.com 

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