Father-of-four dies suddenly during Carnival Cruise to Mexico just weeks after canceling life insurance policy

  • John Perricone, 29, had been struggling to breathe and started convulsing during visit to ship's doctor
  • Vacation had been a Christmas gift to the family, who were struggling to make ends meet

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 18:50 EST, 4 March 2014 | UPDATED: 19:11 EST, 4 March 2014

The family of a 29-year-old man from Chicago are waiting to hear what caused his sudden death during a cruise with his wife and four children.

John Perricone and his family were enjoying a vacation to Mexico last month, which had been a gift from his parents, when he started to have trouble breathing.

He visited the ship's doctor on February 20, a day after feeling unwell, but while there the father of four young children began to convulse before suddenly dying.

Loss: John and Brittany Perricone on their wedding day. The couple had been enjoying a family holiday when John fell ill

Loss: John and Brittany Perricone on their wedding day. The couple had been enjoying a family holiday when John fell ill

The family of the Home Depot department manager are now waiting to receive the results of the autopsy as they struggle to come to terms with his death.

Family man: John Perricone enjoyed spending time with his four children

Family man: John Perricone enjoyed spending time with his four children

Mr Perricone, who was studying for an accountancy degree at night school, was the sole breadwinner for the Romeoville family, as his wife Brittany cared for their children, all under the age of seven.

A fund-raising page has been set up in his memory, for the funeral arrangements and to help with his children.

Because the family had been struggling to make ends meet, Mr Perricone had canceled his life insurance at the end of last year, believing there was little that could go wrong while he was 29.

The Romeoville family had been off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, when Mr Perricone went to see the ship's doctor.

'The next thing you know, he started convulsing real bad and looked at my daughter with the biggest "I'm sorry" eyes, and he went limp,' Lee Forseth, his father-in-law said.

Mr Perricone's sister, Katie, who was also on the cruise, told NBC Chicago her brother had been tired on the vacation and sleeping more than usual.

No other illnesses were reported on the cruise, and Carnival has said it does not suspect foul play.

 

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The father-of-four's body is being examined in New Orleans, before being returned to Mr Perricone's hometown in Chicago.

Mr Perricone was described as a family man who worked hard, and was the sole provider for his wife and four children, Grace, 7, John, 4, Charlie, 2, and Mark, who just had his first birthday.

Unexpected: John was on vacation when he started to struggle to breathe

Unexpected: John was on vacation when he started to struggle to breathe

'He had everything under control, and I didn't have to worry,' Mr Forseth told the Chicago Tribune. 'And neither did his family. And neither did my daughter.'

The fund set up to help Mrs Perricone and her children has already raised more than $22,000.





Comments (91)

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Life insurance is the last thing that you should let go when you have children. What could happen to a 29 year old? How about a car accident, falling down and hitting your head, etc.? Now there is no safety net and four small children to provide for. How sad.

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There was a woman who died suddenly and her family was prepared to struggle ahead until it was discovered that she had a life insurance policy that she only told one person about. That was a true blessing for a family who could afford the funeral and taxes and a bit more for her loved ones.

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4 kids by age 30. sheesh. if they are struggling financially, parents should have offered to pay for groceries, or their rent instead of being the "fun" grandparents to the kids, where at least 2 are too young to remember the cruise. how long before they sue the cruise line?

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So you hear about a tragic death and immediately start judging his life? God, I feel terrible for your boyfriend or husband, lords strength to him he will need it.

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Crazy sad...you just never know...

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Bet he wishes he didn't cancel the life insurance now.

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About the nastiest flip comment you could have come up with and you should be ashamed of yourself. Troll.

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I was an insurance agent for 7 years, and something like this happened. A restaurant owner whose property I insured, called me over and had me cancel is $50,000 life insurance policy. It wasn't much to begin with realy considering he had three children and a restaurant that was loaded with debt, but he never wanted it in the first place, saying that he wasn't going to leave his wife behind with money to spend on another man. He died less than a year later in a small plane crash. His wife and family looked at me as if I was a fiend for allowing him to cancel it. They were destitute. She had no idea how she was to go on. Their past life was destroyed. It was horrible. People need to carry at least a small life insurance policy. It makes all the difference in the world.

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What a truly selfish man.

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Sounds like a severe allergic reaction to the food or some tropical insect. But I'm not a doctor, I just play one on the internet.

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A lesson to be learned: Life insurance isn't for sick people or old people. Life insurance is for people whose loved ones would be financially ruined if the policy holder were to die.

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Seriously. Parents should have paid for that instead of the cruise.

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So sad for this family. No passing judgement here. Sounds like this hard-working man needed a vacation and bless his parents for trying to give them a nice break. They will struggle financially now, yes, and may even need government assistance. Let me tell you, I'd rather my money go to this family than those that "choose" not to work or even TRY to be productive members of society -- all while being drunk!

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Why should government (meaning, me, the taxpayer) pay for his 4 kid and wife at all? If I bought a Ferarri, and couldn't pay for it, should I make my neighbors pay for it through their taxes? The wife CHOOSE not to work! They have illegitimate children! Both should have got a college education, real jobs, THEN had 1 or 2 children when they were financially able to.

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Caroline,why do you say the children are illegitimate ? They were married,so unless they had all 4 children before they got married then I can assume they were legitimate !

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Why not space your kids out a bit so you can actually AFFORD them? I don't really feel that bad for their financial situation as they put themselves in it. it's terrible those kids lost their dad, but man, 7, 4,2 and 1?? get a TV! Give the baby making a rest. Or, maybe put all that energy towards working like the rest of us do. If you can't afford that many kids, don't have them!

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Given that you are posting from the east coast, the rest of us could think that you are either a 'welsh wife' who doesn't work, or someone with a job who ought to be working, not playing on the internet. Either way, why does that entitle you to judge this man... who you didn't even know?

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