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John Ruscica Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for John Ruscica
2 Entries
Charlie de la Parra
December 18, 2003
Jackie was a beloved friend and neighbor to me and my family. He was like family to us. I grew up with Jackie and remember the day he and his family came to Ridge. We spent endless summer days riding bikes, building forts, playing and the occassional fighting that goes on between a bunch of growing boys.
As adults we could always count on each other to lookout for things in the neighborhood. Help with things that our parents needed help with as they got older. I will miss Jackie always, he was a gaurdian and friend to the end.
Kevin Donohue
November 23, 2003
It's alway difficult to share what's in your heart when a friend dies so suddenly. Good friends are not easy to come by. Jackie was a good guy with a generous heart.
I met Jackie not long after moving to Ridge. He was a little bit older and had a great knowledge and respect for the "great outdoors". I didn't know boo about hunting or fishing but Jackie always took pains to show me a little bit more of nature. He always took care to show me something that I might not have noticed or overlooked. He shared secret 'fishing holes'and the proper way to fry squirrel. He instilled in me a love of nature. Most importantly, he made me feel a little bit more like a local, than a transplant to Ridge.
We could play stickball, basketball,or hang out with Mr. Harris at the gym. Jackie,also, had a mean curveball. He could really nail a stickball over the fence.You've got to respect a guy like that. As a child,I looked up to him for silly things like that.
We were just a small gang, thrown together by chance.I miss those days of innocence. The summer days seemed to linger past nightfall. One day seemed to be much like the next. We used to call them boring and laugh.They were simplier times.
As an adult, I realize those days were anything but boring. We were searching for answers and had a lot of time on our hands to think about things. Sometimes we even found answers to our questions. Other times we ended up with more questions then when we started.
Today is one of the latter kind of days. It was cold and a little damp. The night has that unseasonably Fall not yet Winter chill in the air. This kind of night leaves you with questions of how bad a Winter is coming. Those were my thought when I went outside with my dogs tonight looking at the stars. When I came inside, I had new questions without answers. I learned of Jackie's death and I couldn't shake off the chill.
I'll be thinking of Jackie alot the next few days. Then, as time goes by, I'll be thinking of him a little less. One thing is certain, I'll never forget him. Friends are just like that.
My heart goes out to Kathy and all the gang. Know that I keep you all in my heart and thoughts.
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