Ralph A. Volpe, Jr., 97, of Branford, CT, the beloved husband of the late Theresa P.(Salemme) Volpe, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at Elim Park Rehabilitation Center following a brief illness. He was born December 3, 1925, in New Haven, CT, the son of the late Ralph and Amalia Volpe. He lived many of his adult years with his family in Hamden and moved to Branford in 2000. Ralph and Theresa shared 64 years of marriage and were the epitome of soul mates whose deep devotion to each other has been an inspiration to all who knew them. His greatest joys came from his life with Theresa and their three children, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Ralph earned an Honorable Discharge from the Army in 1944 where he served as a private, Company B, 12th Battalion, Armored Replacement Training Center. An auto mechanic by trade, he owned and operated Auto Parts and Service, Inc. in Hamden, CT until his retirement in 1985. He and Theresa spent 25 winters at their home in Boca Raton, FL., returning to CT full time in 2010. He loved building and repairing just about anything including wood model boats, intricate jigsaw puzzles, and his vintage A.C. Gilbert American Flyer model trains. Whether in his home or in his cars, music was always playing as he was an avid lover of Italian American recording artists such as Al Martino, Don Cornell, Dean Martin and Sergio Franchi. He enjoyed dining out at his favorite restaurants in and around Branford, CT with friends and family. His special pride was his Platinum Blue1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III which he drove only on sunny days. He is survived by his beloved children, Linda Dubois (Kermit), of Sudbury, MA, and Ralph A. Volpe, III (Maria) of North Haven. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Tara Keating (Kevin) of Branford, CT, Kristin Lentini (Bryan) of Cheshire, CT, Dennis R. Volpe, Jr. (Alexia) of Madison, CT, Melissa Vanasse (Ryan) of Cheshire, CT, Jennifer Dubois, of Wayland, MA, and Amanda Jermine (Rob), of North Haven, CT. He was also blessed to have experienced the joys of his great grandchildren, Ashley, Tyler and Andrew Lentini, Tessa and Ellie Keating, Dylan and Evelyn Volpe, Nathan and Matthew Vanasse, and Avery and Robert Jermine. He was predeceased by his son Dennis and daughter in law, Janis (Ferriola) Volpe, his sister, Ann Bolognese, and his brothers, Ernest, Rudolph, and Arnold.
His funeral procession will leave the North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, North Haven, CT on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 11:30 am for a Mass of Christian Burial, at St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish at Barnabas Church, 44 Washington Avenue, North Haven, CT, at 12 noon. Entombment will follow in All Saints Cemetery Mausoleum, North Haven. Friends may call prior to the funeral from 9:30 to 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, 3010 Westchester Ave., Suite 106, Purchase, NY 1057, United States. http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/fwtributes
So very sorry to learn of Ralph’s passing. The Lazaroff’s and Volpe’s have been “Family” for over 60 years. Rest in Peace dear friend.
Ralph & family:
I am very sorry for your loss. No matter the age, the loss of a loved one is greatly felt. My sincerest sympathy for you and your family.
It was quite touching for me to see my cousin’s name in the obituary for Ralph Volpe. So sweet that Ralph enjoyed the singing of my cousin Don Cornell who had hits in the 1950s — “Hold My Hand,” “It Isn’t Fair,” and others. Don was born Luigi (Lou) Varlaro and he loved to sing all those wonderful songs from The Great American Songbook. Nice to have him remembered. Thank you, Ralph and family.
Hello- Thank you for sharing some history about Don Cornell. What is your name and where are you from? I think my dad’s favorite song among many others was Play Some Music for Broken Hearts. Great melody and Don’s voice was so smooth in that song.
Ralph,
Sorry to learn of the loss of your father. You and the family are in our prayers.
Joe