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Romeoville Man Dies Mysteriously On Cruise Ship

(CBS) – A 29-year-old Romeoville man died suddenly and mysteriously during a vacation cruise Feb. 20, leaving behind a grieving wife and four children – and several unanswered questions.

John Perricone, a Home Depot department head working on an accounting degree, became ill during a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico that he and his wife took as a Christmas gift they had received.

Perricone had pains in his ribcage one night and could hardly walk on his own the next morning, his father-in-law, Lee Forseth, tells CBS 2.

John Perricone
John Perricone (courtesy: Perricone family)

He went to the ship's infirmary, where his conditioned worsened and he died, Forseth said. Autopsy results are pending, and Perricone's body is en route from New Orleans to Chicago.

The family is baffled because Perricone appeared to be in excellent health, his father-in-law said. No one else on the ship suffered similar symptoms.

"We don't what happened," Forseth said.

Surviving are Perricone's wife, Brittany, and four children ranging in age from 1 to 7 years.

Perricone did not have a life insurance policy at the time of his death. A web page has been set up to help raise funds.

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