Dese Cirelli, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully at home after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Born in Jersey City, Dese built a life full of hard work, laughter, music, adventure, and love. He spent his career as a business financial controller, specializing in government contracting. After raising his four children in Connecticut, and a brief stint as an expatriate in Italy, work led him west to California — where he met his wife, Nichole. Together, they built a beautiful life full of joy, travel, and shared dreams.
In retirement, Dese was proud to be reborn as a WSETT II “wine guy”, where you could find him working in the tasting room at the Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma. He loved meeting people, swapping stories, and sharing the history of the winery.
A man of many passions, Dese found joy in being out on the water in a boat, showcasing his culinary talents, playing one of his many guitars, and moonlighting as a photographer. Above all, he was a proud and supportive dad to Michael, David, Daniel and Caitlin — and in recent years, nothing brought him more joy than being “Grandpa” to his two grandsons, Cameron and Logan.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Nichole; his son Michael and daughter-in-law Liz; his son David and son-in-law Greg; his son Daniel; and his daughter Caitlin and son-in-law Ryan. He also leaves behind two cherished grandsons, Cameron and Logan; his brother Felice; countless nieces and nephews; and his cat, Charlie.
A private family memorial will be held in Nantucket, a place close to his heart. To honor him best, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, to help others fighting the same battle he faced with such courage and strength.
His warmth, laughter, and love of life will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew him.
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