In Memoriam

The Coney Island Museum is saddened to mark the passing of our dear friend, John Parascandola.

John Parascandola passed away at home November 30 at the age of 83. 

John grew up in Brooklyn, and he received his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Brooklyn College and went on to complete his PhD at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he stayed on to teach for 12 years and raise a family. Subsequently, John moved to the DC area and served in the federal government as Chief of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine and as historian for the Public Health Service.

Following retirement, he kept busy researching and writing books, including Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America and King of Poisons: A History of Arsenic. His most recent scholarly work was A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing. He was also co-editor with brother Louis Parascandola of A Coney Island Reader: Through Dizzy Gates of Illusion and the forthcoming Atlantic City Reader.

John also had many non-academic interests including the New York Mets, the New York Liberty, old horror and mystery films, and, of course, anything related to Coney Island. He was a staunch supporter of Coney Island U.S.A. and visited Coney whenever he was in New York.

John is survived by sons Mark and Adam Parascandola, brother Louis J. Parascandola, daughters-in-law Christina Parascandola and Stephanie Prete, and sister-in-law Shondel Nero. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Randee Chafkin. 

The Directors and Staff of the Coney Island Museum extend our deepest condolences to the Parascandola family. John was a part of the CIM/CIUSA family, and he will be missed.