Ralph J. Ciniglio

Our family was deeply saddened to hear the news of Ralph’s passing. We have only the best memories of Uncle Ralph making the kids laugh with his jokes and silliness. It’s so hard since we are so far away, but I was glade Steve and I were able to see him and talk at Dorothy’s wedding, it had been a few years before that and we were able to pick up as if we had seen him just a few days before. I always appreciated Ralph for the wonderful family man that he was, I think that’s why he fit into our family the way he did. My father loved him, we all loved him. He was a great husband, father and grandfather, he leaves a great legacy, no man could ask for anything more. God bless him, and his family.

My cousin Ralph got called away last Tuesday evening for the New Years Party in heaven. He was a great guy and a good provider and family man. He had a sly sense of humor, the kind that is followed by a wink. 20 Years ago he re-modeled my bathroom and it is as good today as it was when he did it.

I remember Ralph and Barbara taking my sister and I out for a Friday evening when we were young. Sitting in his cool Red Dodge Charger (with the folding covered headlights) is a time I will never forget.

For my 2026 New Year’s resolution, I think I will try to be a bit more like Ralph. He will be missed.
Love to Barbara and the Family – Edward and Eileen.

Ralph, you will be missed by so many. The comments I hear and read about him are true. Ralph was a family man to his core. The way he lived his life will always be a beacon of honor and virtue. I’ve known him my entire life, and never once did I experience a negative feeling from him. He was funny, soft spoken, and welcoming. He was a second father to me, and I will love him for the rest of my life. Ralph is the epitome of what a man should be. He was loving, dependable, and warm to those he met. And, boy, was he funny. I remember being invited over to the Ciniglio’s for dinner one night (6pm sharp), and I was a shy kid when it came to eating at other people’s houses, and he knew that. I’ll never forget when he said, Go ahead.” And when I reached for the food, he pretended to stab me with the fork. We all laughed, and it made me feel so much more comfortable. I have a lifetime of those kinds of stories, but I still think of that one, because that was who he truly was. He was able to spot my insecurity and diffuse it with humor. That’s Ralph. And I will forever keep you with me as the truest example of what a man should be. Rest well, sir.

My father was an amazing man who helped shape every part of our lives. Family was the most important thing to him, and he would stop anything to be there for us whenever we needed him. My dad was always ready with either a hammer or a joke—depending on whether we needed him to fix something or make us laugh.

When I was a little girl, I would wait at the end of the hallway for him to come home from work. The moment he walked into the kitchen, I would run to him, and he would lift me up and hold me close in a hug. I remember looking forward to him coming home every day.

As I grew up, I decided to try basketball—probably thinking I could be the next superstar. Spoiler: I was not. But! My dad was at every practice and every game. I struggled to get the ball in the basket—mostly because I was so short—but he never made me feel bad. He showed me how to hold the ball the right way. I remember having to jump every time I took a shot, and he just looked at me and said, “Alright, we can fix that later.” (We never fixed it.) When he went to show me how he shot the ball, he walked to the end of the driveway and made a shot like it was nothing. That’s when I realized I had the coolest dad ever. I practiced the way he taught me, and soon I was making shots almost every time—still not a pro, but at least I could actually play.

One Thursday a month, we used to go to my grandma’s house for dinner. My dad would meet us after work, and when it was time to go home, I always wanted to ride with him—just me and my Dad in the car. We would talk about school, basketball, toys I liked—just about anything. One conversation still randomly plays in my head when I’m driving. I must have been about ten, and he was teaching me about driving: “See the road? When it turns like this, you turn the wheel just a little, so you stay in the lines.” This past week, I realized the deeper meaning in that conversation. I’m at a bend in the road now, and I have to turn the wheel, but I don’t know how to do it without him. He didn’t teach me that part, and I wish I could turn this buggy around and get back to him.

When I was marrying Tom, I remember my dad telling me he liked him, that he was happy for me, and that he had always known I was going to marry him. After I got married and it was time to change my name, I cried because it felt like I was leaving my dad. I knew I wasn’t losing him, but how lucky am I to have had a dad who made it so hard to change my name?

Seeing my dad become a grandpa was probably one of my favorite memories of him. He loved each and every one of them with all his heart. They were everything to him. They are so lucky to have him as their Papa.

Moments when our whole family was together, when my sister my dad and I were having a water gun fight or the jokes he would tell that would make me and my brother laugh, or the time we were in Disney with all the kids and my parents were walking around Epcot holding hands make me wish I had a pause button. I will cherish that last day we had with him, His jokes had me and my sister laughing until we left.

I will miss my dad more than I could ever put into words. I will carry him with me in the laughs we shared and the love he gave me every single day. I wish I could take one more drive with him, hear one more of his silly jokes. If he was here he would tell me to make sure that I mentioned that he was a legend….I think he’s was right. Thank you for everything, Dad, and for showing me how to navigate life one turn at a time. I’ll love you forever. I hope you’re building something amazing for us up in heaven. So long.