Robert Ricci
February 28, 1935 - August 1, 2011
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Bob was born in 1935 in Arce (Frosinone) Italy, the son of Domenico and Tomasina Ricci. He died August 1, 2011 in the Veterans Hospital in Palo Alto, California. His family moved from Italy to Providence, Rhode Island and then to Modesto in 1950. He was graduated from Modesto High School in 1953 and then served two years in the U.S. Army. He earned a B.S. from University of California Santa Barbara and a Masters from Boston University. In August 1962 Bob married Marlene Brock of Woodburn, Oregon. |
He spent his teaching career in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS): one year in Ankara, Turkey; five years in Stuttgart, Germany; and 28 years in Vicenza, Italy.
He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Peter, his sisters Ann Ricci, Marie Russo and Livia Fraioli of Modesto. He is survived by three children: Monica, Peter (Deidre), and Marisa (David) Bessette of San Francisco; by five grandchildren: Alexandra, Luca, and Nicolo Ricci, and Francesca and Matteo Bessette; brother Mario of San Mateo, and sisters Angela Krukiel and Shirley Cantele of Modesto.
Bob taught approximately 37,000 classes in a 40-year span and wore a necktie to school every day. He was much beloved by his students. Students of all ages were delighted by his backwards talking and today there are hundreds of people around the world who know how to say things backwards because of Bob. He loved soccer and was a coach of the Vicenza High School team for all his years there. Bob also loved photography and had his own darkroom at home to process and print his works.
The Celebration of Life mass will be held at St. Josephs's Catholic Church, 1812 Oakdale Road, Modesto at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, August 8. In Bob's memory, the family requests that all males please wear a necktie. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Cancer Society .
Published in the Modesto Bee on August 5, 2011
