For a whole day after news reached the Secaucus Public Library about Kevin Chiccone’s death on April 24, strange things began to happen. Lights and computers failed, doors mysteriously opened and closed, and workers even lost sets of keys.
Chiccone had worked for the library for about nine years and had developed a reputation for his sharp sense of humor. He wasn’t exactly a prankster, but he took a perverse pleasure in watching small things go awry.
“Kevin got a laugh out of watching things like that,” said Library Director Katherine Steffens, who was among the many library staffers to express their anguish over his death. “I used to look up through my office window to where he always stood. He always had an unique expression.”
The 29-year-old’s humor and his knowledge helped unify the library staff. Born in Teaneck, he spent most of his life in Secaucus, where he worked as a computer technician in the library. Workers claim he had an affinity for technology and helped both the library and its staff make the difficult transition from card catalogue to modern computer proficiency.
“He helped teach us about computers,” Steffens said. “When ever anybody had a problem, we went to him or Richie [Gantzhorn].”
Chiccone and Richard J Gantzhorn made up the technical staff for the library, developing everything from new systems to setting up the library’s web page. Chiccone helped shepherd the library into the computer age, Steffens said.
“In that way, he left his mark on this library,” she said.
Even though he was seriously ill for many months, Chiccone made a point of returning to the library to see if there was anything he could do to help, Steffens said.
Heart trouble led to cancer
Chiconne’s troubles started early in life. At 17, Chiccone underwent a heart transplant, a blessing that also came with a high risk. Researchers found out later that the use of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection of a transplant also predisposed patients to certain kinds of cancer. An Australian study in 1999 showed the chances of contracting it could be as much as 30 percent or more within the first four years.
Chiccone, unfortunately, became a statistic. But not to the staff at the library, who have been in a state of shock and dismay. Many had lived with Kevin’s illness as if it had struck a close relation.
Library Board Trustee Joan Millevoi remembered Chicconi as someone extremely helpful, and she felt a particular connection because her child was only a year younger than he was.
“He will be missed and not just here in the library,” she said.
Board President Mauro DeGennaro said Chiccone had helped him as a trustee, and had helped his children as patrons of the library.
“He will be missed by the patrons and the staff, and it particularly hurts to lose him as such a young age,” he said.
Trustee Terry Santos called him a wonderful person who had a huge impact on the library, working on numerous special projects over the years.
Surviving Chiccone are his parents John and Helen, his sister Michele Wetter, his grandfather, Joseph McKeever, a nephew, five uncles, four aunts and many cousins. Mass for Chiccone was scheduled at Immaculate Conception Church for Saturday, April 28, at 10:30 a.m. Mack Memorial Home in Secaucus handled the arrangements. Family members said donations can be made to The American Cancer Society (there is an office in Secaucus) and the Gift of Life Heart Transplant Program, c/o Niloo Edwards, 622 W. 168th St, PH12, Room 1273, NY, NY. 10032.
Workers tried to help through new program
Although employees in the library were reluctant to talk about Chiconne’s illness while he was alive, during the final months of his illness, many of them joined a newly instituted town program that allowed them to quietly aid him in his life and death battle with cancer, giving a share of their accumulated sick and vacation days so that he could maintain his health benefits.
The town instituted the “donated leave” program in January, with the library trustees voting to join earlier this year.
By giving these hours away, workers provide their ill-counterparts with their town benefit packages, perhaps long enough to heal.
Serious extend illness may threaten such people’s lives, yet often just as bad is the impact of time ticking away at accumulated sick days, vacation days, and even leaves of abssense. Ill workers struggle both against the disease and the shrinking time needed to recover.
Under the program instituted earlier this year, workers can donate a portion of their own accumulated sick days to a fellow worker, hoping that the gift will give them enough time to recuperate.
Charlie Schumacker, director of communications for the town, is no stranger to illness. He has suffered through his own ill health over the years and knows how hard it can be, spending time out of work to recover from an ailment, while in the back of his head, fear nags at him as to whether he has enough time accumulated to cover the gap in work. Because he understands such a situation, he has recently acted as a donor of time more than a beneficiary. He has been one of the many town employees who have donated time to others, and he said he is aware of similar donations being made in the police department the town library.
“What else should I do?” he asked, when questioned as to his motivation. “I’m going to sit there and let somebody worry about his or her job?”
Other workers, unwilling to give their names or departments for fear of giving away the name of the person they are seeking to help, claim they hardly use their sick days, and see no reason to keep them if someone else so desperately needs it.
Benefit costs to the town this year skyrocketed because of numerous catastrophic illnesses, and though these cases appear as mere statistics, workers in various town departments can put a face to each, and even list the ailments fellow workers suffer.
Town administrator Anthony Iacono said the donated leave program is 100 percent voluntary.
“Other employees can offer to donate their accumulated sick or vacation time to another employee if that other employee has some catastrophic illness,” he said. “But the illness must be life threatening or of a serious nature. You can’t give this if someone has the flu.”
He said this is particularly necessary for people who have used up their own time trying to deal with the disease. The gift is for someone in dire straits, a humanitarian offering.
“It is the equivalent to someone taking money out of their own pocket,” Iacono said. “They can give up a week vacation and the time would go to the needy employee.”
The needy employee would receive the benefit at his or her own rate. Thus, if an employee gives time to his or her boss, the boss receives the benefit at regular salary. The same would be true if a boss was giving time to an employee.
“It is day for day, not dollar for dollar,” Iacono said.
This donated time keeps the needy employee on the town’s payroll after his or her own time runs out, thus also keeping the town’s medical benefits.
Iacono said the town can’t tell employees which co-worker to give time to, or prevent employees from donating to one person and not another.
Mayor Dennis Elwell said he believes the program will help bring town employees together.
“This is a way that town employees can bond with each other,” Elwell said.
Employees who use donated leave will be treated as if they were using their own sick leave, and will continued to receive full salary and benefits while they are on donated leave.
To be eligible, a person receiving these benefits must have worked for the town continuously for more than a year, must provide medical evidence that the condition is catastrophic, and must have exhausted all earned paid leave time, including compensatory time, sick leave, vacation leave, administrative leave and personal days.
To donate, an employee must be a current employee of the town. Such an employee can donate up to 10 days a year, but most have at least 20 sick days of his or her own accrued or at least 12 vacation days. A donor cannot later revoke the leave donation.