Ralph Cericola

1921 - 2015

Ralph Cericola of Springfield, PA, a member of the Greatest Generation, passed away on October 22, 2015.
He was born in Camden, N.J., in 1921 during the Great Depression. His parents, Maria (nee Ucci) and Amedeo Cericola, had four children, Raffaele, Laura, Al and Ralph). His father was killed in a fireworks accident in Camden when he was 3. His mother remarried and had several more children; Rita, Rudy and Helen predeceased him. Marie and Anthony died in infancy. Anne Mogul and Charlie Sabatini survive him. He then moved to South Philly.
He attended South Philadelphia High School and graduated in 1940. There, he was best friends with Mario Lanza. He also knew Frank Rizzo and Jack Klugman and loved to tell stories about all three.
He worked at Fleet Wings and at an airplane factory in Bristol. He enlisted in April 1944 and chose the 82nd Airborne to get the extra $50 a month for his mother. He trained in England and had three combat jumps, D-day, Operation Market Garden, and a secret volunteer night jump into Suippes right before the Battle of the Bulge to gather intel. He won a bronze star for this and won a second bronze star for rescuing a fellow GI at Tres Pons. He also received a Purple Heart after being severely wounded by shrapnel on December 31, 1944 at the battle. After almost a year and five operations on his left leg, he made it home and became engaged to the beautiful Suzanne Ferrera.
He started work as a welder at Vertol helicopters which became Boeing in Morton and Eddystone. Despite never going to school for it, he was soon promoted to engineer and worked on designing the Chinook and Osprey. He retired from there in 1999.
He also attended Pennsylvania College of Optometry on the GI bill and graduated in 1950. He then moved his wife and young son, Ralph, Jr. to Springfield, Delaware County, where he had a thriving practice with a lot of his patients seeing him on nights and weekends. Many of his patients were co-workers at Boeing. He did not retire from his practice until he was 88 years old.
He was a devoted father and husband, a jazz fan, a snappy dresser and a great foxtrotterer. He loved football, especially the Eagles. He played many sports as a youth. He had many friends and had a very outgoing personality, always helping people out whenever he could.
He was proud to send his son, Ralph, to West Point. His son also joined the 82nd Airborne division and became a Ranger too. Sadly, Ralph was killed in a fire in Ardmore in 2004. His wife died in 2006. He is survived by his loving daughter, Cindi Cericola of New York City.
There will be a viewing Monday 6-8 pm and Tuesday after 9:30 am, O'Leary Funeral Home, 640 E. Springfield Road, Springfield, PA 19064. His funeral Mass will be Tuesday at 10:30 am in Holy Cross Church. Burial will be in SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675.