Pleasantville's John Riccardi, WWII Veteran

RICCIARDI, JOHN P., of Pleasantville, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 18, 2013 in Ossining, NY.  He was 91.  Devoted husband of Rose; loving father of Carol McNiff (Jim) and Joanie McGowan (Brian); cherished grandfather of David McNiff (Jill), Jessica Lisy (Chris), Jennifer Antonaccio (Mike), Lauren Carberry (Dan) and Michelle Chiappa (Chris); fond brother-in-law of Patricia Ricciardi; revered uncle of Robert Ricciardi, Jr. (Mary Jean) and Linda Tirella.  A combat veteran of World War II, John was blessed with eight great-grandchildren – Tyler and Nolan McNiff; Thomas, Kathryn and Caroline Lisy; Nora and Ian Antonaccio; and Maggie Carberry.  He will be sorely missed by all. 

Born on East 187th Street and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx on July 9, 1922, John was the eldest of two sons of Arthur Ricciardi, a custom tailor who hailed from the province of Abruzzi in Italy, and Rose Carielli, herself a Bronx native.  He was fiercely proud of his Italian heritage, and his father’s work ethic, which he emulated in every way.  During the Depression, his father traveled the country wherever there was work to be found in his field, taking his wife and family with him.  John boasted that he had gone to three High Schools, and cited a fond litany of the towns he had lived in – Saginaw, MI, East Cleveland, OH, and Hamden, CT, where he graduated High School in 1940.  The family returned to the Bronx at that time, living on East 241st Street, and John made plans to attend engineering school.

World War II changed those plans.  A lathe operator at a boatyard on City Island when the war broke out, John spent the early part of the war building landing crafts that would be instrumental in Allied invasions around the globe, and in which he himself made numerous beach landings later in the war.  In 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army, and served in combat in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a gun crew leader in the 64th Field Artillery, 25th Division.  His division was based in Hawaii, and nicknamed the “Pineapple Soldiers.”  He fought extensively throughout the Solomon Islands and the Philippines, and was poised to be part of the force invading the Japanese mainland, where U. S. casualties were expected to exceed 1 million, when the Japanese surrendered.  Subsequently John was part of the Occupation Army in Japan, until he was discharged in December 1945.

His wartime experiences shaped his outlook on life until the very end.  He always had a smile and a positive thing to say about any situation, because he had seen the worst of what life could offer.  His definition of a good day: “Any day is a good day when no one is shooting at you.”  A bad day: “There are none, when no one’s shooting at you.”

Returning to civilian life after the war, he charmed Rose Millo, a young girl who had recently moved from Jeanette, PA to New York, with a demonstration of his skating skills at a rollerblading rink in Mt. Vernon.  In his 80’s John could still strap on a pair of hockey skates and dazzle his grandchildren with twists and turns and skating backwards at various ponds in Pleasantville.

On June 5, 1948 he and Rose were married at Nativity of Our Blessed Lady Church on Secor Avenue in the Bronx, and set up their home at 4044 Duryea Avenue where they happily raised their two daughters, Carol and Joanie.  He and Rose had most recently celebrated 65 years of marriage.

The grandson of a blacksmith, John was a master machinist in the elevator industry.  He was known throughout his trade as a man who could work miracles with any metal, fashion any part, repair any piece, and solve any issue of any elevator ever built.  He took great pride in his work, and in his tools.  At his death he was the oldest living member of Local 3 of the IBEW, in which he served for many years as a Union Steward, bringing his skills as a man who knew the value of a fair compromise versus confrontation.

In 1977 he and Rose moved from the Bronx to Pleasantville, where their home on Oak Ridge Road was the site of family gatherings and backyard barbecues for many, many years.  He continued working until his late 70’s, commuting daily to Tri-State Elevators in Pelham, NY, and even after his retirement was often consulted by his colleagues for his wisdom and expertise.

In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his younger brother Robert Ricciardi, also a WW II combat veteran who flew countless missions as a U. S. Navy gunner.  They both fought in the Pacific, and towards the end of the war were able to meet up at some island base where Bob’s plane was stationed, and there they had a reunion bordering on the legendary.  John sorely missed his brother over the past decade, and is now joyfully reunited with in Heaven. 

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Beecher Flooks Funeral Home, 418 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY.  Visitation on Sunday, July 21, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM, and Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, July 22, at 10:00 AM at Holy Innocents Church, 431 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY.  Entombment following at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Alzheimers Foundation, 322 8th Avenue, #700, NY, NY 10001, or the Children’s Tumor Foundation, 120 Wall Street, NY, NY 10005.