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RICHARD GIACOPPO Obituary

GIACOPPO, Richard C. "Ricky" Of Norwood, passed away on May 11, 2019. He was 34 years of age. We lost our beloved boy, Ricky. There are no words to describe our insurmountable grief. We had the joy of having Ricky with us for the last two months at home. We spent time together walking his dog Lady, binge watching our favorite shows, laughing at silliness, supporting his hope of getting in shape, and dream of working at the MSPCA where he once volunteered. He went to school at UMASS Boston for substance abuse as a counselor and hoped he could one day return to complete the program. He was looking forward to spending more time with his brothers, Chris, Nick, and their girlfriends, Katie and Virginia, that he loved so dearly. In the past few weeks, Ricky spent time with his Grandmother Sissy, Grandfather Pa, Auntie Cheryl, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was so appreciative of these good times with them. Ricky's family was everything to him. Ricky was a special soul and like no other. Anyone that had the privilege of meeting him experienced his incredible hugs, and his fierce loyalty. He had a beautiful smile, quick wit, and a sense of humor like no other. He could always make us laugh even during the toughest of times. Since early childhood Ricky had a passion for reading. His bedtime books consisted of four, sometimes five books. He continued his love of reading throughout his life. Ricky was an intelligent man that could have done anything. We lost our beloved son after his long battle with substance use. Through all the pain and joy we loved him with our hearts and souls, and never gave up hope that he would beat this insidious disease. We pray he is at peace and is with his Grandmother Nana and Grandfather Butch, who he loved, and they loved him so very much. There will not be a day that we don't continue to love him and miss him so very much. We will carry him in our hearts and souls until we meet again. Beloved son of Richard M. and Bernadette M. (MacDonald) Giacoppo. Loving grandson of Matthew Giacoppo of Burlington and the late Thelma, Mary "Sissy" O'Neil of Watertown and the late Henry "Abie" MacDonald. Devoted brother of Christopher and Nicholas Giacoppo of Portland, ME. Ricky is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Funeral Services will be private. Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Ricky to "The Family Restored" https://thefamilyrestored.org/ Gillooly Funeral Home

Norwood 781-762-0174

www.gilloolyfuneralhome.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Boston Globe from May 13 to May 14, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for RICHARD GIACOPPO

Not sure what to say?





Mom & Dad

May 13, 2025

Ricky,
it's been 6 years since we lost you and yet it feels like an eternity. Our heartbreak is indescribable, and the pain of your loss is insurmountable. We will love you and hold you in our hearts forever.

Mom & Dad

Mom & Dad

May 8, 2024

In 3 days it will be 5 years since we lost you.
We keep you in our hearts and souls every second of everyday.
We love you more than life itself and pray that someday we will see you again in heaven.
Mom & Dad

Mom & Dad

May 8, 2020

In three days it will be year that we lost you. There isn't a second of a single day that we don't think about you and shed tears over losing you. Our lives are devastated and will never be the same. The heartbreak is unimaginable and will continue for the rest of our lives. We pray that you are at peace and resting in heaven until hopefully some day we will see you again. Love you forever

Bob & Norma Frieden

May 7, 2020

Hard to believe that a year has passed

August 13, 2019

Bea and rich i am so sorry for your loss. I just found out and I pray that somehow you will be able to heal and go on . sue delaney

August 13, 2019

Bea and rich there are no words I can say to let you know how sad i am for you , I only pray that you find the strength for you and your family to heal. sue Delaney.

Jeff Blonder

July 12, 2019

I grew up seeing Ricky in various different times in my life in varying venues and situations. I lived the struggle he and so many others live with and I've lost many loved ones due to the same circumstances. I feel for all who are lost right now grieving Ricky. I've thought of him several times over the years and I was lucky enough to have bumped into him a few times in the past couple years so this news brings sadness to my heart. Ricky wherever you are, you're missed buddy.

June 3, 2019

Richie Giacoppa and Family, How saddened I am for you to loose your precious son. I understand The grief. But the wonderful memories of your loving son will remain in your heart forever

Love And God Bless You.
Linda Stimer and Chris Stimer

Joshua McDevitt

June 2, 2019

My sympathy to his family who im sure are good people,cause they raised a great son,if you knew Ricky then you know much he will be missed,

Joanne Lewis

May 26, 2019

Bea, There are no words, but I'm just so very sorry for you all. My prayers and thoughts are with you all.

Bev Rakauskas

May 25, 2019

I have so many memories with Ricky
Miss and love you Ricky

Janice & John Apostolopoulos and Family

May 25, 2019

Bea and Richie,
We are sincerely heartbroken and so sorry just hearing of your beloved Ricky's passing. Please accept our deepest heartfelt sympathies to you and you boys Christopher and Nick during this tragic time of loss. Although we have not seen Ricky in years since when our kids were young as time flies by, I remember Ricky was a sweet gentle boy with a beautiful smile. Please know our hearts and prayers are with you all . Ricky will always be with you inside your hearts forever. Our Love to you all.
God Bless you and keep you strong ♥

Laura

May 25, 2019

I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to add this. My heart is with the entire family.

I knew Ricky years and years ago, when Scott brought him into the MSPCA and asked me if I'd take him on as a volunteer. As a grown up punk rock kid, I connected with him immediately, and knew how deeply a connection with animals can be a respite from a complicated mind and shaky daily routine.

I'm so glad this world got Ricky for even the short time it did, and will never forget the long conversations he and I had at the shelter, listening to him, with so much excitement, tell me about every animal he interacted with.

Rest easy, buddy.

Josh Travers

May 20, 2019

Mike Karwashan Ricky and I used to hang back in the day and he was always one of the kindest people you'd ever meet. Not a mean bone in his body. Sorry for his family and all who loved him. Rest in peace brother

Ricky's infectious smile

May 19, 2019

Our boy, our beloved Ricky. There are no words to describe the depths of our grief. He was our boy, our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend.

He was our first born with a beautiful smile and blue eyes

Ricky was a unique soul. Anyone that has had the privilege of meeting him experienced his beautiful smile, sense of humor, infectious laugh, bear hugs, and fierce loyalty.

Ricky was bright and always amazed us with his knowledge of all things. His vocabulary often stumped us - having to ask him the meaning of a word. His love of reading began as small child and continued throughout his life.

When Ricky was young, his pediatrician asked us if his father was a scientist and I said no he's a police officer - he shared that he had never met a child with the knowledge he possessed.

Ricky spent the last two months at home with us. We will treasure that time in our heart and souls until we meet him again.

During that time we watched marathon Netflix, took his dog that he adored Lady for walks. We will treasure those walks in Bird Park. We will relive every movement, smile, the sharing of his personal thoughts, his fears, and his hopes. He planned on applying to MSPCA as a volunteer as he had before. His hope was he would work towards a position there. He was looking forward to spending more time with his brother's, Chris, Nick and their girlfriends, Katie and Virginia that he loved so dearly. In the past few weeks, Ricky spent time with his Grandmother Sissy, Grandfather Pa, Auntie Cheryl, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was so appreciative of the good times he had with them and treasured the weekly Sunday dinners in Burlington.

But, most of all we had Ricky with us. It was the best of our Ricky. His kind heart, his quick wit, sense of humor and of course that beautiful one of kind smile.

We lost our beloved son after his long battle with substance use. Through all the pain and joy we loved him with our hearts and souls, and never gave up hope that he would beat this insidious disease. We pray he is at peace now with his Grandmother Nana and Grandfather Butch who he loved and they loved so very much. There will not be a day that we don't continue to love him and miss him so desperately. We will carry him in our hearts and souls every second of every day until we meet our beloved boy again.

There is nothing anyone can do alleviate our pain but we would ask that everyone do a little something special for Ricky besides keeping him in your thoughts and daily prayers. The next time you are with a loved one, give them a great big Ricky bear hug, kiss them on the cheek and tell them that it is from a special soul in heaven named Ricky. It is our hope that this will create a lasting memory of Ricky with you and your loved one that will continue to keep his memory alive.

There are so many what if I did- what if I didn't - we pray to God we won't continue to be tortured by these questions but in time remember we all stood by him through his battle for many years.

We are broken and find it hard to breathe. How will we continue, how will we take the next step.
Our Ricky our beloved boy - we will hold you in our hearts and souls always. From sunrise to sunset we will love you. Forever and a day your mom and dad

Robert Frieden

May 17, 2019

Richie, Our condolences to you and your family on this saddest of news Bob & Norma Frieden

Stacy Kuphal

May 16, 2019

Giacoppo's I wish that I had words that could take away the pain you are feeling. Know that I am thinking of you all and sending all my love to you during this time. I am here for you in anything you need at any time, no questions.
I hope you can remember all the good times and hold on to them to remember going forward.

I love you all,
Stacy

May 16, 2019

Our deepest condolences to Rich, Bernadette, Chris, and Nick. We know well how loving and caring a family you are, and the pain of losing your cherished son and brother Ricky is something we cannot even begin to imagine.

I remember Ricky best from when he worked at Starbucks in Westwood. We didn't know each other that well but he knew I was a friend of his father and he always went out of his way to make sure I was taken care of.

You have great love and support for each other, from your extended family, and from all your many, many friends in Norwood and elsewhere. We'll be keeping you in our thoughts.
Tony, Tim and Sean Concannon

May 16, 2019

I'm so sorry for your loss. I worked with Ricky at Andrew House Detox and he was a funny, charming character who we here will miss.

Barbara Giacoppo

May 16, 2019

Richard and Bea - There are no words. I only want you to know you are in my prayers and my heart.
Barbara

Amy Kuphal

May 15, 2019

Richie, Bea, Nick, and Chris,

My heart breaks for your family and the pain you are in with Ricky's passing. Sitting here writing this now, I know there are no words that will take that pain away and I feel like "I'm sorry for your loss" seems hardly enough. Please know that I am grieving with you and am ALWAYS here if you need someone to chat with, someone to lend a hand with anything around the house, or an ally to continue to fight against this disease that is taking far too many lives. Sending you love, thoughts, and prayers.

-Amy (and Kallie)

June Marotta

May 15, 2019

Rich and Family,

So sorry for your loss. Our deepest condolences.

Michael Benedetti

May 15, 2019

I have a great memory of Ricky with his dad coming over to my house to install some smoke detectors. Probably around 1992 or so. Rich was hard at work and Ricky was right alongside him, as his assistant. He was watching his dad intently and he clearly had a better grasp than I did of the wiring and installation. It was obvious that Ricky was absolutely thrilled to be working with his dad. It was also apparent that he was a very intelligent kid. So much so that 28 years later the memory is still crystal clear.
I was lucky enough to meet him many other times and it was always palpable that he was an exceptionally intelligent person with a great love for his family.

White Orchid Planter

Francis Barry

Sent Flowers

Catherine Mahar

May 14, 2019

Since his birth, our family has had the privilege of having Ricky in our lives. We feel so lucky to have shared in so many wonderful memories and beautiful days with him and your family. From family vacations together on the Cape, to celebrations, our annual visit to First night on New Years, to jumping in the family pool and barbecues at your house. I have wonderful memories of Ricky jumping in the pool with his brothers and playing games with my kids at Cissys on the Cape. He was an extraordinary son, brother, and friend. His loyalty and love of his family and his pets knew no bounds. He was blessed to have an amazing family like you who surrounded him with so much love. Ricky was a charming soul and when you were with him you could always count on him being the best of company. His laugh was infectious. He was a wonderful conversationalist and could always make us laugh. It is an incredible gift to have known and loved him. His laughter and love will live on in our family's hearts. Sending peace and light my beautiful friends, Richie, Bea, Christopher, and Nicholas.
Love, The Mahar family

CaRherine Mahar

May 14, 2019

Since his birth, our family has had the privilege of having Ricky in our lives. We feel so lucky to have shared in so many wonderful memories and beautiful days with him and your family. From family vacations together on the Cape, to celebrations, our annual visit to First night on New Years, to jumping in the family pool and barbecues at your house. I have wonderful memories of Ricky jumping in the pool with his brothers and playing games with my kids at Cissys on the Cape. He was an extraordinary son, brother, and friend. His loyalty and love of his family and his pets knew no bounds. He was blessed to have an amazing family like you who surrounded him with so much love. Ricky was a charming soul and when you were with him you could always count on him being the best of company. His laugh was infectious. He was a wonderful conversationalist and could always make us laugh. It is an incredible gift to have known and loved him. His laughter and love will live on in our family's hearts. Sending peace and light my beautiful friends, Richie, Bea, Christopher, and Nicholas.
Love, The Mahar family

May 14, 2019

Bea and Richie

Denise Kuphal

May 14, 2019

God bless his beautiful soul. We are so very sorry for your loss. Ronnie and I are holding you and your family in our hearts and prayers.

May 13, 2019

To Bea, Richie, Chris and Nick,
You already know how special your family is to ours and how sorry we are. The Wilcum/ Fitzgibbon family has wonderful memories of you all, but that boy Ricky was always such a character. Always warm and welcoming when he'd see us, such a funny little boy as well as grown man. He knew so much about so many things and I think it's because of how much he would read. He loved learning and knew so much about so many different subjects. A Walking encyclopedia, is a good word for him. He had beautiful blue eyes and a terrific smile,
Ricky was such a pleasure to talk to and his laugh was infectious. His love for his family was evident. We will all miss so much about him, but we will keep these memories in our hearts. Catching frogs at camp Dennen, running around pleasant street with Matthew, Megan Kenzie (Lol) and the other neighborhood kids. We understand your struggles, but always kept your family close and showed them love.
Forever in our hearts Ricky. We love you and hope you've found the peace you so deserve in Gods loving arms along with others that have gone before you.
Until we meet again
Lisa, Michael, Matt, Joe and Whitney. Xo

Dan Hovey

May 13, 2019

I was deeply saddened to hear the news of Ricky's passing. He had a beautiful spirit and I will never forget his infectious smile. With deepest condolences to the Giacoppo family, I am sending you all prayers of strength, comfort and peace as you find your way through each day.

Jimmy Holyoke

May 13, 2019

Ricky, You made me laugh, you had a great heart and fought like hell at times. Your struggle is over, and I will miss you my friend. :(

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