Richard V. Cerilli Sr.

PORTSMOUTH ; Richard V. Cerilli, Sr. of Portsmouth, N.H., died Monday, Nov. 24, 2008, after a sudden and brief illness.

Mr. Cerilli was born in Cranston, R.I., on June 20, 1919, the son of Italian immigrants. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving aboard the USS Altair repair ship as a deep sea diver. Following the war, he enrolled in and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Rhode Island School of Design of Providence, R.I.

In 1948, he and his bride, Dorothy, moved to Seacoast, N.H., where Mr. Cerilli was employed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a design engineer. Mr. Cerilli's career spanned 38 years, during which he received numerous commendations and awards for excellence regarding his work contributing to development of the modern nuclear submarine. The culmination for him was his position as test development director for Anti-Submarine Warfare under the auspices of PERA (SS), Planning and Engineering for the Repair and Alteration of Submarines.

Mr. Cerilli retired from the Department of the Navy in 1980 and lived a full and interesting retired life. Personal fitness was an avocation to which he was dedicated, and the early morning hours would find him in the Spinnaker Point pool and weight rooms, where he daily swam 35 or more laps and worked out.

He was a lifelong bowler, participating in league bowling, both ten pin and candlepin, often walking away with trophies for high score and average. He and his wife were ballroom dancers par excellence, who never failed to "stop the show," and put on a clinic for other dancers whenever they took to the dance floor.

Mr. Cerilli's vegetable gardens were an obsession for him, providing delicious produce for himself, family, and neighbors. Travel was something that Mr. Cerilli and his wife loved, and as members of H2U, they often visited locales throughout the United States. Annual trips to Florida with niece and nephew, Pat and Jim Mancini of Barrington, R.I., were something very special and much anticipated. International travel took place with friends and family, and they spent much time throughout the world seeing new and exciting places, including the historic Guarcino, the Italian village where his ancestors lived and family still resides.

Mr. Cerilli is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dorothy (Haughey) Cerilli; a daughter, Elizabeth and son-in-law, David Choate of Rye; son, Richard and daughter-in-law, Janet Cerilli of Dover; two grandchildren, Heidi Choate of Dover, and Wyatt Cerilli, also of Dover.

Mr. Cerilli was proud of his family, one and all, and will be missed greatly.

Visiting hours will be held at the Farrell Funeral Home, 684 State St., Portsmouth, on Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. James Church, 2075 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, on Saturday at 10 a.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Family flowers only please.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Rockingham VNA and Hospice, 137 Epping Road Exeter, NH 03833.

Visit the online guest book at www.fosters.com/obits

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