Richard Ciccarelli

1920 - 2018

Richard S. Ciccarelli
Jul 2, 1920 – Feb 16, 2018
Richard S Ciccarelli died February 16, 2018 at his farm residence in Modesto. He was born in Modesto on July 2, 1920 to parents Antonio and Assunta Ciccarelli who immigrated to America in 1909. They came here on their honeymoon and it reminded them so much of Italy, they fell in love with Modesto and never returned to their homeland.
Richard spent his entire life in Modesto, attending Salida Grammar School, Modesto High School and Modesto Junior College. At Modesto High he excelled in track as a high hurdler.
Following his education, Richard's aeronautics instructor from MJC invited him to work in the aviation industry, and that took Richard to King City, California. At the outbreak of WWII, Richard was recruited to be a flight instructor at Eagle Field in Dos Palos, California. Sometime later, the US military drafted all of the flight instructors into the Army Air Corps. Many of his former cadets kept in touch with Richard over the years, meeting annually at Eagle Field to reminisce about the war with their flight instructors. The students he trained were dispatched to the European and Pacific Theatre of war.
At the conclusion of the war, Richard returned to Modesto and established one of the first civilian flight training schools at the Modesto Airport. Concurrently, he began to acquire farm properties. He then was employed as a supervisor for Norris Industries in the manufacturing of ammunition for the US Army. As the demand for ammunition dwindled, he became a buyer of peaches for several major canneries. As his farm enterprise grew, he then devoted his energy to the management of his vineyards, walnut and almond orchards. In 1941 Richard met his bride to be, Clarene Knutson who shared his love of flying and often participated as his assistant in air shows.
His hobbies included the restoration of antique automobiles and airplanes. His greatest pride was flying his 1929 Great Lakes biplane in air shows throughout the western states, winning numerous awards of excellence. He was well known for his acrobatic skills. Of all his restored automobiles, he was particularly fond of his 1949 Buick Super Convertible which always won the Best of Show.
Richard was a mentor within his family. Whenever anyone was faced with a difficult challenge, his bottom line advice was "Nothing is impossible; the impossible only takes a little longer."
Richard was the last survivor of the first generation of American Ciccarellis, predeceased by his parents Antonio and Assunta, sisters Lucy Spina, Mary Duke; brothers Richard (age 6), Leo, Anthony, John, Urelio, Rudolph, and Ernest. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Clarene, and his beloved children Debby Melrose, Cyndi Hafer (Paul), and Rick (PJ), and grandchildren Jason, Ryan, Erika, and Nicholas; and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins. The family would like to extend their gratitude to the kind and loving caregivers who spent countless hours keeping Richard happy, healthy, and safe in his cherished home.
A rosary is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 9:30am, then at 10:00am the funeral mass will begin, both located at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church 709 J. Street Modesto, CA. Burial is to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park 900 Santa Fe Avenue Hughson, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any remembrances be made in Richard's memory to the Salida Fire Protection District, P.O. Box 1335 Salida, CA; or a charity of your choosing.
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