Marco Ranalli Jr.
Grandson Scott Arnoldi is cq/pat
Marco Ranalli Jr. passed away peacefully Wednesday with his dear wife, Loretta, by his side. Marco, 83, of Valencia Woods Nursing Center, was formerly of Zelienople and Gibsonia.
He was the beloved son of the late Marco and Rose Ranalli; husband of 62 years of Loretta Wagner Ranalli; father of Cheryl (Bud) Colvin of Gibsonia, Christine (Byron) Arnold of Roswell, Ga., and Victoria (Donald) Rosenberger and Mark (Eileen) Ranalli, both of Gibsonia; dear brother of Benedict and Dr. Frank A. Ranalli of Gibsonia and the late Alphonse and Nicholas Ranalli; grandfather of Scott Arnoldi, Matthew Arnold, Laura Kleber, Tracy Langham, David, Veronica and Dimitri Rosenberger and Mason Ranalli; and great grandfather of nine.
Marco was born in Etna and moved to Gibsonia, where he lived for 50 years.
He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was a member of Bakerstown American Legion Post 549 and Mars VFW Post 7505.
Marco worked at the Gibsonia Post Office for 32 years as a rural letter carrier. He was co-owner of Ranalli's Drive-In Theatre in Gibsonia.
One of Marco's loves was his hunting camp in Emporium, which he owned with his brother, Al, for 60 years. He would spend the entire month of November there quietly enjoying nature.
When Marco was in his late 50s, he attended a marathon in Charleston, W.Va., and declared "I can do that!" Sure enough, Marco began training immediately; and the next summer, he along with his son, daughter and two sons-in-law, ran the marathon in West Virginia.
He dearly loved his great-grandchildren and would hold and play with them whenever they visited.
He was a member and usher at St. Richard Catholic Church.
Marco is free of pain now, reunited in Heaven with his brother and best friend, Al, and his beloved dog, Smokey, by his side.
<B>RANALLI</B> — Friends of Marco Ranalli Jr. who died Wednesday, March 24, 2010, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at <B>McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Inc.</B>, 238 Crowe Ave., Mars. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Richard Church, 3841 Dickey Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044, with the Rev. Kenneth Oldenski, pastor, officiating. Everyone is asked to please meet at the church. Military honors will follow the Mass. Burial will be in Holy Savior Cemetery, Richland Township.Memorials may be made to the St. Richard Building Fund.Directions and condolences are available at www.mcdonald-aeberli.com.
