Ralph P. DiNello, 70, of North Branford, passed away on Monday, August 26, 2013 at the Smilow Cancer Hospital. He was the husband of Deborah Carafeno DiNello. Ralph was born in New Haven on August 30, 1942; son of the late Raffaele and Louise Sanzone DiNello; was a graduate of Eli Whitney; served his country faithfully in the U.S. Marine Corp during the Vietnam era and attended the University of New Haven having taken some criminal justice courses. Ralph had served on the New Haven Police Department from August 14, 1967 to June 27, 1998 retiring as a Detective and later was a U.S. Federal Marshall until his retirement. Father of Donna DiNello Rockhill (Kermit) of North Branford, Teresa Ann DiNello of of Meriden and Steven Raffaele DiNello of North Branford. Also survived by his “favorite granddaughter†Samantha Jean DellaRocco.
Family and friends are invited to go directly to St. Augustine Church, Caputo Road, North Branford on Friday morning at 10:00 to attend a mass of Christian burial and are also invited to attend the committal services with full military honors immediately following in All Saints Cemetery. The visiting hours will be Thursday from 4 to 8 pm. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Smilow Cancer Hospital, P.O. Box 1849, New Haven, CT 06508.
I will never forget this amazing man, the time spent at his home growing up.
From Baptism, communion, and confirmation he was by my side. I couldn’t ask for a better role model for a Godfather. Forever in my Heart. Rest not your job here is done. Semper Fi
My deepest sympathy to the entire family.
Uncle Ralph I will miss you very much but I will always keep you close to my heart. You were a wonderful man who gave everything he could to other people. May your soul rest in peace.
Debbie and family: My deepest sympathies for the loss of Ralph. Though retirement drew us in separate directions I will always remember the hours working together. Especially on slow nights sitting and talking in the bureau sharing life with each other. Ralph was a good Investigator and a good friend. Ralph thank you for your many years of service to our country and our city. Semper Fi my friend.
Ralph’s kindness and his gentle sense of humor combined with his genuine caring of those he loved and cared for. He truly enjoyed life’s simple pleasures, from good bread to learning something new. We are so happy and honored to call him our friend.
Stay strong, Deb. We love you.
To all of you, we send our deepest sympathy and warmest thoughts. We feel privileged to have known gentleman Ralph, and particularly to have seen him so recently. Was it really just a month ago! We wish you all strength as you lean on each other to get through this dreadful time. Fondly ~ Larry & Tricia
My heartfelt condolences for your loss.
Our deepest sympathy to you Debbie and family from the Nutiles in Rangeley, Maine.
Dad. I miss you SO much its agonizing. What am I going to do without you? When I can’t do things to make you proud and to let you know that I’ll be alright? Who’s going to be my closest confidant and advisor? Who will defend me and stick up for me? Who will I share everything in my life with? Didn’t you know that my life depended on and revolved around you….and that now, nothing has meaning, worth or purpose anymore….and that I couldn’t care less about life now that your gone? You were my rock and motivation and reason to keep striving….the only one who encouraged and enabled me and supported me in every way. I can go on for hours but the point is, I need you so much. My life feels pointless now, I ran everything past you and shared all with you. I still had so much I wanted to say to you and do for you and I wanted you here to enjoy life and any accomplishments I may still achieve. I needed you. I just want you back! Please at least make contact with me so that I know that your alright. I don’t want to remain in this world without you and now, I look forward to being with you one day again, on the other side. Until then, I have much grieving to endure and its only the beginning for you’ve only been gone two days. This is really happening right now isn’t it. I promise you I’ll do my best to endure and to become the son you’d want me to be….but it’s not easy without you and honestly, I don’t know that I can. Your passing suddenly and the way that you did was the greatest blow I’ve ever endured…..there’s no greater loss….you cannot imagine the pain and sadness and emptiness that I am dealing with now. My heart is broken and I feel so empty. A large part of me died with you. Suddenly all my passions and goals, future plans and aspirations are meaningless and empty. And its not just grief and depression causing it. It’s that I’ll not be able to share any of it with you, get your blessings and encouragement and wisdom….and all the many things you offered me. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more loving Father on this earth. I was truly blessed to be your Son. THANK YOU for all you’ve done for me my entire life. I’m sure I’ll have much more to write to you in the coming days but right now, I am just so hurt and sad and….I cannot even begin to put into words what this feels like that I cannot even focus or think clearly right now. Please forgive me for all the times I wasn’t there for you and for all the time I wasted that I could have spent with you and for all the times I was impatient and well….nasty and moody towards you. It was never YOU, it was my own issues and attitude problems and worries, etc., that although I never meant to take out on you, I did, and I really hope that you never felt that I didn’t really love you or care enough about you because that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that I in fact loved and worried about you SO much, that I could not express it properly to you and …well….I always came across wrong. But you never stopped loving me even when I didn’t deserve it. But please know that really….everything I do….I do it for you! Which is exactly how you were. You always did everything for ME. I’m your Son and so, if and when I actually do happen to do good things…..do things right in life…..its only because I learned if and inherited it from YOU. I hope that one day, I can become at least half the man you are. Dad….I have so much I’d still like to say to you…I don’t even know where to begin. I have so much to apologize for as well. I wish I had more time with you and that I hadn’t wasted and taken for granted all the time we did have together….which I am grateful for….and I wish I told you and proved to you, just how much I truly, deeply love you. I hope that wherever you are now, that you are able to read this…because I need you to know this. I really need you Dad. I miss you so very much….I don’t think my heart can literally handle this right now. I love you always – Steven
You were a pleasant person to work with. Very well liked and respected. God bless you Ralph. Rest in peace. My deepest condolences to Ralph’s family.