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Ralph W. Gianino III

FUNERAL HOME

Schrader Funeral Home - Eureka

108 North Central Avenue at 1st Street

Eureka, Missouri

Ralph Gianino Obituary

Gianino III, Ralph W. baptized into the hope of Christ's resurrection, Friday, February 28, 2014 at age 62. Loving husband of 38 years to Joanne Gianino (nee Herbel). Dear son of Barbara Gianino and the late Ralph Gianino Jr. Beloved father of Ralph IV (Jennifer), Nicholas (Jessica) and Joseph (Kristen) Gianino. Loving grandfather of Eilliana, Ralph V, Sal, Dante, Estelle, Rudy, Sienna, Vivian and Lena. Dear brother of Walter (Marva) Gianino, Rachelle Gianino, Michael (Maria) Gianino, Anthony (Sheryll) Gianino and Ann (Ed) Cook. Beloved uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to many. Goodbye to Shotzie and Daisy. He always put his family first... Services: Funeral mass at Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 350 East Fourth Street, Eureka at 9:30 am Friday March 7th. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation Thursday, March 6th from 3-8 p.m at the church. A service of Schrader Funeral Home, Eureka. Friends may sign the family's online guestbook at Schrader.com.

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Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Mar. 2, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
for Ralph Gianino

357 Entries

Barbara Gianino

February 28, 2024

TO LOVE IS TO REMEMBER, TO REMEMBER IS TO LOVE. Today is the 10th anniversary of the lost of my son Ralph. As is the custom, we gathered at Resurrection Cemetery to relive stories. His wife Joanne read Ralph's bio written by Anthony. Sons Ralph IV, Nick, and Joe, recalled memories from their childhood. Nine of the ten Grandchildren, Ralph V, Sal, Rudy, Lena, Dante, Sienna, Estelle, Vivian and Joey were there. The oldest, Ellie, is in college at Univ. of AR. Ralph's siblings Wally, Rachelle, Michael and Ann, added to the story telling. Anthony lives in KS but joined us via phone. Cousin Kate, Cousin Billy and his son Chris joined all of us to complete the gathering . It was a sunny, yet very cold , windy day. Joe had blankets, Joanne even had extra hats and of course snacks for the kids. We love and miss you every day and know your are very proud of your extra great Grandchildren, Sons and Joanne.

Barbara Gianino

March 3, 2023

As always, family made the visit to Resurrection. I left my six roses, 5 red, 1 red tipped yellow, to represent God's gift to me of my six children. Faithful nephew Bill was there again. Thank you Sue Cox for your comment. The Coxes are part of our family.

Susan Cox -Shrimpton

February 24, 2023

Always good thought's and a lot of memories.
Love, The Cox Family.

Barbara Gianino

February 23, 2019

Time does not make it easier without you but you do learn to cope. On February 2, 2019 we lost another key member of our family, Aunt Ruth Ann. I found it comforting knowing you would be there leading the welcoming committee. You must be very proud how Joanne helped ease Aunt Ruth Ann's suffering. She did everything you would have done. Your sons, their wives and children are every bit as great as you think they are. Miss you every day, Love Mom

Anthony Gianino

March 21, 2016

Written and given to Ralph while he was ill.

Ralph,

Sitting here, in a chair in an office in Kansas, my mind takes me back

I'm confused and scared, sitting on sparkling concrete steps outside a seemingly innocent building. Everybody I have ever known, and many more, are inside. I was in there, too. But, I had to get outside. Nothing made sense inside. A man somewhat resembling my dad was dressed up and laying down. Everybody I have ever known, and many more, were crying and upset. I had to get outside, so I went outside. You sit down next to me, and tell me everything is going to be OK. I believe you. I feel better now.

There is another night I can recall

My big brother Wally is laying in bed. He is hurt, and everyone is very upset. The household succumbs to a familiar chaos. I am unnerved. I do not feel safe. I am worried for Wally. I am worried for my mom. I am worried for me. I am wondering if anyone is safe. You come home. You check on Wally. You leave with a determined look. I feel better now.

My memories keeps taking me back

I'm just another kid playing soccer at recess. We're pretty good, but only 4th graders. The 8th graders start to play with us. Some of them are jerks, going out of their way to hurt us. An 8th grader steps up. He looks at me and says, Hey, isn't Ralph Gianino your brother? I proudly say, Yes. The 8th grader turns to all of his friends and says, You better leave this kid alone, his brother will beat the living daylights out of all of us. My friends begin to talk about my big brother Ralph. I'm feeling good.

I feel pretty cool being at my big brother's apartment. I don't think any of my friends have a brother with an apartment. On the wall is a sign made of can tabs. The sign says, Love. Joanne was clearly a saint. I instantly begin to understand you better.

I'll never forget the time those twenty-somethings gave me a quarter to give you a call. I was playing Donkey Kong at Happy Joes. These much older guys didn't feel like waiting to play and told us to move on. I told them my big brother would kick their asses (it had become a recurring, always effective threat in my circle). Not knowing you and not believing me, they gave me the quarter to give you a call. As luck would have it, you worked about 5 minutes away. 5 minutes later, you pull into the parking lot. The 3 previously cocky men were a little surprised when you got out of the car. One of them said, Holy Sh**, he's a gorilla. I got to keep playing Donkey Kong. Your power was my power. I feel pretty damned good now.

I don't even need to tell the Shrewsbury police station story. I had 1 call. I called you.

The first call I made after Z was born was to you. You held Z within hours of birth. Same with Drew.

Drew experienced separation anxiety greater than most babies. Only Sheryll and I could hold him. The only exception was you. Not at first, of course. He screamed holy hell. But, you would not quit. You held him and sang to him and smiled at him. It worked. You had formed another special bond. In 50 years, Drew will be playing the I've got something for you in my hand game with his grandkids. And, he will think of you.

I've always felt pride reflecting on the fact you are my brother. I never felt somehow less than the other kids just because I didn't have a dad. Not even close. If anything, I felt sorry for them that they didn't have a Ralph.

My confidence has benefited greatly by your standing as my brother. I vividly remember thinking, while in grade school, that you could beat up Muhammad Ali. You were the toughest man in the world my own personal super hero. I was never afraid, because I had you. There was nothing I couldn't do, because I had you. The brother of Ralph can do anything.

One of the best summers of my life is the summer I spent working for Wally (OK, I did most of the work he left to pick-up supplies for about 4 hours everyday J). I learned Wally is the world's best looking fat man (just ask him). I also learned that it is safer for me to ride in the back of a pick-up truck every morning. Something about the smoke. And, I heard the stories. That summer, the Legend of Ralph grew as did my pride in being a Gianino. It is probably the most Gianino I have felt in my entire life.

Well, up until your boys came of age.

Ralph was as animal on the field you with pads and the guardrails provided by rules. Nick was unbelievable All Conference, All State, Mr. Everything. They were the best Gianino athletes of all time. Everyone I knew was aware my nephews were studs. I was just glad Joe made it through grade school. Cereal and hot dogs can only get you so far. I remember going to one of Nick's games. Nick was dominating as usual, seemingly making every tackle. I looked on the sidelines and saw a huge kid. I said to Sheryll, damn, look at the big kid. She said, that's Joe. He was a freshman.

I remember when you told me Mizzou was recruiting Joe. I remember seeing the article in the paper when Mizzou signed with Joe. I remember watching Joe, my nephew, play for Mizzou. The game in Austin against Texas was incredible. Watching Joe in the bowl game in Shreveport was fantastic. Seeing him on TV hustling downfield to drill an OU d-back was sensational. That's my nephew, a Gianino, I would tell everyone. To this day, every time I tell someone I'm a Mizzou fan, I tell them my nephew played for Mizzou. He doesn't even know it, but he made us all feel better.

I'm thinking of your smile and your laugh right now. The thought makes me smile and laugh. I will think of the stories told to me long ago by Wally. I will smile, and you will be there with me. In 20 years, there will be something that triggers my memory. A sparkling concrete step or a sign that says Love or Donkey Kong or ravioli or football or your boys or your grandkids or a hearty laugh or a good-hearted, protective giant...

And, you will be there with me.

I love you, Ralph.

Anthony

Larry Culis

March 21, 2016

Written and given to Ralph while he was ill.

Ralph and Joanne,

I love you both. Ralph, you are the brother I never had. Joanne you are beautiful and have a big heart like your sister. You and Deb were the glue that held our families together. You both kept us out of trouble, at least most of the time. The best and happiest part of my life was raising our children together in Eureka. Remember the night Deb sent me out for milk? I passed Ralph and he came with me. We ended up stopping for a beer and got home after midnight. The next morning Deb asked me what happened and did I forget the milk? I told her the milk was in the car. Problem was it was August, 100 degrees out, and the milk was spoiled. I blamed it on Ralph and he blamed it on me.

Ralph, we go back to Khoury League baseball before we even knew Deb and Joanne. Your Dad came to some of the games. He was young, handsome, and always friendly. He sometimes had a beer in his hand back when men were allowed to drink a beer at the ball fields. Your team always beat us. You could hit a fastball out of sight but you were a pull hitter and I always threw you outside curve balls.

Then in high school we met Joanne and Debbie and started dating them. We used to play cards at their Mom and Dads house. I always laughed when you would say you had a pair (paregoric) or you were "one jack off" from having three of a kind. Mom Herbel used to ask me if you were a gangster. But you were the first one there when they needed help and I learned a lot from you. Then after we got married we went to Vegas and got thrown out of the Aladdin. Remember the cruise the four of us went on?

We played sports together as kids and adults, and you always had my back. Remember the Jaycees and playing softball at Lions Park? And basketball at the old high school. We couldn't run much but once you got the post up I would give you a lob pass and they couldn't stop you.

I heard you sing Proud Mary at so many weddings I can't count them. We were always together doing something and I have missed that and always regretted moving away. I would have stayed in Eureka if I could do it over again. But we lived, loved, fought, and played hard and I have so many great memories I can't write them all down. My family and I will always love you and we are thankful for the many happy years with you. Keep fighting and I will see you soon......Love you all......Larry

Chris Giles

March 21, 2016

Written and given to Ralph while he was ill.

Ralph,
I wanted to send you a note during this difficult time. I hope I have made it very clear how much I love and respect you. I believe the stature of a man can only be measured by the way he treats his wife and children/grandchildren as well as the legacy he leaves. Ralph, few people can say they have had a greater impact on the family around them than Ralph Gianino!
Since I first met you, you have treated me like a member of your family. I could see the way you love Jen and her family and I always knew you welcomed me. I will always be grateful. As Jen and I drove away after meeting your family, I remember telling her how much I liked Uncle Ralph.
I truly consider you and your family as my Family and your sons as dear friends as well.
You may not remember this but for our wedding, you must have spent hours putting together a picture collage for us. I still cherish that gift and show it to our girls often.
A few years after that, when we were pregnant with Madeline, we went to a Mizzou game at Oklahoma with you. For most of the game an OU fan was heckling Mizzou fans. Finally you had enough. You stood up and told him "I take sh*** bigger than You!" I'm not sure Aunt Joanne liked that very much but I was very impressed. That is the Ralph that that I quickly came to admire. A man that cries with and for his family and lives to serve them, but will just as quickly stand and fight anyone who disrespects them. Ralph I only hope my girls look up to me as your family does you. My girls love Uncle Ralph so much. You have a very special place in their hearts and always will. You are bigger and louder and funnier than anyone they know. They love spending time with Uncle Ralph. I will always be indebted to you for your friendship and letting me be part of your family. You are in our prayers because you are in our hearts.
Until I see you again,
Chris Giles

Kurtis

March 21, 2016

Written and given to Ralph while he was I'll.

Mr. G,

Nick has been in contact with me about your health status for quite some time now. I realize your at home now and Nick suggested that you would get emails sent to this email address.

I was informally introduced to your family in the spring of 2000. To me that does not seem like long ago, but its been almost 14 years. I visited McKendree, who was recruiting me as a tight end, and all the coaching staff could talk about was how great their former tight end was. Of course I'm talking about Ralph. It was obvious that Ralph had made quite an impression on the coaching staff there and they kept telling me that Ralph had a brother that was still playing at McKendree. I knew nothing about McKendree before that visit and it was explained to me that McKendree had reinstated their football program in 1996 and that "this Ralph guy" (which is originally how I knew him) was a member of that first 1996 recruiting class. The coaches spoke SO highly of Ralph and Nick ("The Gianino's"), it really made me understand the family atmosphere in that football program. Eventhough Ralph was never going to play for these coaches again they talked about him like he was a God and family. I even remember getting a chance to meet Ralph on my visit. It was such a short introduction that Ralph may not even remember it....but I do. I remember thinking, "Holy sh**, this is the guy they have been telling me about". The coaches spent a lot of time explaining to me why they think Ralph was so successful at McKendree. They explained that he didn't catch 10 touchdown passess in a season or anything like that.......hell he probably didn't even catch ten passess in his whole career. But there explanation in a nutshell was that Ralph was a tough SOB and if you put somebody in front of him he wanted to destroy them. They spoke in the same regard about "Ralph's brother". Telling me that he was a tough SOB and a guy whose greatest asset was his WILLPOWER. It was clear by the way the coaches described "The Gianino's" that they were not the most talented guys on the team, but they were damn sure the toughest.

I eventually chose to play for the Bearcats and started school there in fall of 2000. I was well aware that Ralph was the only Tight End that school had known since 1996. I met Nick during two-a-days my freshman year. I remember the first time I ever talked to him was in Ames Dining Hall. The other students were not at school yet so it was just football players eating. I had my crew of rookie freshman players I was hanging out with, but I still for the most part felt like an outsider from the rest of the team......I was the new guy and nobody cares about the new guy. It was my first time away from home, I was 18, and I was 3 hours away from any family I had. Nick came up and sat by me at a lunch or dinner. I remember he had some crazy longhair haircut and just seemed like an odd character all around. But there was nothing odd about our relationship as we hit it off right away. Of course, I already knew who he was because the coaches had told me all about your family on my recruiting visit. Nick and I were immediately close. Of course we bonded over several frosty adult beverages. I already knew one thing about your family due to the description of your boys by the coaching staff of McKendree. "The Gianino's" were tough SOB's, but I learned something else about your family through my freshman year and my relationship with Nick. "The Gianino's" are loyal friends and tough SOB's. Time after time Nick proved that to me, if needed, he would run through a brick wall for me. I did and still feel that same obligation to him.

As my four years at McKendree rolled on, Nick and I both became important pieces in the Bearcats team. I started almost half the games at Tight End my freshman year and started nearly every other game at Tight End throughout the remainder of my time at McKendree. By time I was done, I felt like McKendree had only had two Tight Ends in 8 years, me and Ralph. I felt like I had successfully carried the torch from Ralph and that meant a lot to me. Nick and I enjoyed an amazing ride together in 2002 as we were both important pieces of the puzzle as McKendree went to the semi finals of the National Championship. Sure it was small college football, but what a year that was and I will remember that for the rest of my life. Nick and I worked out together the off season before 2002. Historically, I was strong in the weightroom but Nick was not (don't tell him I said that). But we both worked our butts off during the summer. Working at a local contractors by day and working out together in the gym at night. We pushed each other so hard. There was never a day where the workout didn't become insanely competitive. We were like two brothers bickering, fighting, competing, but at the end of the day nobody better pick on my brother. We were both very protective of the other. We became two of the strongest guys on the football team and I think that kind of "brotherhood" had everything to do with our outstanding season in 2002. That summer and season I learned something else about "The Gianino's"......they are EXTREMELY competitive.

I met Joe while playing at McKendree with Nick. I believe the first time Joe and I ever met was Mardi Gras day 2001. Once again, frosty adult beverages are a part of this story. I won't go into too many details in an effort to spare your image of Joe, but Joe and I ran a muck on the streets of St. Louis that day. We were instant buddies. Joe was much more easy going than Nick. He was an easy guy to like. Not that Nick wasn't an easy guy to like but Nick was alway so INTENSE and COMPETITIVE. While hanging out with Nick that day Joe was like a breath of fresh air. We acted like two 19 year old oversized kids, which we were at that point. After that day, I always did and still do look forward to the next time that I got to hang out with Joe. Over time Joe and I became great friends also.

Most if not all of the McKendree games there was a constant. A tall, deep voiced, mean looking, but soft spoken guy that roamed our sidelines. That was you. You showed up wherever we played. And we grew a bond because of the tight relationship me and Nick shared. I spoke with you after every game. I remember eating with you several times at Schiappa's Pizza. I was always a little jealous of Nick that his Dad was so involved with him. It was obvious to me that you are an excellent father and that long after your "hay day" you lived vicariously through your sons. No matter where we went and what type of restrictions they put on people on the sidelines, you somehow found a way to be on that sideline. Ha. You might have some phony sideline pass or sweet talked some security guard but you were always there for your boys. I respect you immensely for being a great father and from what I've been told a great husband. In my opinion, as we go through life we find and meet people that we emulate in our own lives. My father, eventhough a good guy and he is there for me now, missed the majority of my first 18 years of life. I never learned lessons from him as I was growing up on how to be a good man or good father. You ARE one of those people that I look at now as I have matured and realize I learned from your actions. Being there for your sons and showing support for them in whatever they do. You might not have thought that I payed that much attention or that you have had that kind of effect on me, but you have. Your sons have too, especially Nick. My relationship with him has solidified characteristics in me that were probably already there, but may not have supplanted in my personality. And he learned all those things from you. Through your family I have learned how to be a good man and a good father.

In the years after McKendree I feel like we all have made a conscious effort to stay close. Sure, life gets in the way and we are all busy, but we get together as much as we can. The most important thing is bonds like I have made with you and your family can never be broken, no matter how much we don't see each other. Your family and I have been there to see Nick get married, Joe get married, all three of the boys to start raising kids of their own, birthdays, holidays, etc.

After meeting all of your sons, a few things were apparent to me. First of all, I feel like part of your family. Not just because ALL OF YOU have been incredibly inviting and have made me feel that way, but also because I feel like my core values fit your family's core values. Nick, Joe, and Ralph undoubtedly grew up fighting with each other and anybody else that was stupid enough to fight them. That gives each one of them that tough SOB characteristic I have talked about. No doubt they also inherited a lot of that demeanor from you through their blood line and through the way you raised them. My opinion, is that you raised them to be respectful until there comes a time to not be respectful and when that time comes..........don't back down and don't stop until the job is finished. I have many of the same characteristics though I got this way through a different means. As I mentioned, my father wasn't around much when I was kid. My older brother is 12 years older than me and left for the Navy when I was 6 years old and never came back home. I had a competitive personality and would constantly compete with kids older than me in the neighborhood. Many times I was so annoying that I provoked fights with kids well older than me. I won some and I lost some, but I never backed down and that experience taught me to be a tough SOB. Joe, Nick, Ralph and I had many things in common when I met all of them. We were tough, had the "Never back down" attitudes, and we were extremely competitive. I can honestly say I was all those things before I met your family, but one thing your family has taught me is about loyalty. I didn't have a loyal family growing up. My mom is a saint, she did the best she could raising four kids as a single mother. Some characteristics that usually come from a man were undoubtedly never passed on to me. You guys have shown me what an tight knit family is and taught me about loyalty. I speak about your sons like this because they are merely "a chip off the old block". They signify everything you are and have been as a man. You should (and I'm sure you are) be proud of your family. They are rich in character and heritage. Congratulations!

I admire you for the man that you are. I admire your sons for the men that you have made them. I want you to know that I am thinking of you and most importantly I wanted you to know what I think of you and your family. I love each and every one of your family as if they were my own.

Just to throw in a little Italian humor and symbolism. Have you ever seen "The Godfather"? What the hell am I talking about.....of course you have. Remember Tom Higgins who was played by Robert Duvall? The family attorney to the Corleone's. He wasn't Italian (neither am I), he was Irish (so am I), but he was incredibly loyal to the Corleone family. He treated them like his blood family and in return they treated him like their blood family. That is how I feel about "The Gianino's". Rest assure that I will always be there when "The Gianino's" need something.
Your friend for life, Kurtis.

March 18, 2016

Diana

March 18, 2016

*Written and given to Ralph while he was ill.

Dearest Ralph,
As Christmas approaches I can not but reflect on so many bright and beautiful moments in my life and the gift of friends like you and your family who have left their indelible mark on my heart. I give thanks today and everyday for the gift that you all are to me. Seems I have lived in this neighborhood forever and from the very beginning it seemed that you were the rock, the anchor that tied us all together. You were the blue house on the corner where I could always rely on a bright, cheerful, "teasing" greeting that never failed to brighten my day. Though my boys never pursued sports at school as your three wonderful, remarkable sons did--you accepted and embraced Justin and Nathan for their own unique talents and abilities. The Scheuer family has always had a great sense of genuine admiration and respect for you and your family. I truly feel as if you are my extended family! To this day I read and reread the letter you wrote to Alex, when he was so very ill. It was the most heartfelt, beautiful, generous, gracious gift he could have received ...and it is a memory of kindness that fills us with a sense of comfort and deep gratitude. It continues to give comfort each time my eyes read those special words you wrote.
I will cherish it always. I know you are having a difficult time right now. And though your body maybe struggling at the moment--you are not your body. You are still the same gentle giant as you always were--the large, strong, muscular man with the imposing presence. The big man with sensitive, tender, caring ways-- the man with the Heart of Gold! I feel honored and privileged to call you my friend!
Thinking of you with great fondness and love,
Diana

Chris Giles

March 18, 2016

Ralph,
I wanted to send you a note during this difficult time. I hope I have made it very clear how much I love and respect you. I believe the stature of a man can only be measured by the way he treats his wife and children/grandchildren as well as the legacy he leaves. Ralph, few people can say they have had a greater impact on the family around them than Ralph Gianino!
Since I first met you, you have treated me like a member of your family. I could see the way you love Jen and her family and I always knew you welcomed me. I will always be grateful. As Jen and I drove away after meeting your family, I remember telling her how much I liked Uncle Ralph.
I truly consider you and your family as my Family and your sons as dear friends as well.
You may not remember this but for our wedding, you must have spent hours putting together a picture collage for us. I still cherish that gift and show it to our girls often.
A few years after that, when we were pregnant with Madeline, we went to a Mizzou game at Oklahoma with you. For most of the game an OU fan was heckling Mizzou fans. Finally you had enough. You stood up and told him "I take sh*&# bigger than You!" I'm not sure Aunt Joanne liked that very much but I was very impressed. That is the Ralph that that I quickly came to admire. A man that cries with and for his family and lives to serve them, but will just as quickly stand and fight anyone who disrespects them. Ralph I only hope my girls look up to me as your family does you. My girls love Uncle Ralph so much. You have a very special place in their hearts and always will. You are bigger and louder and funnier than anyone they know. They love spending time with Uncle Ralph. I will always be indebted to you for your friendship and letting me be part of your family. You are in our prayers because you are in our hearts.
Until I see you again,
Chris Giles

March 17, 2016

March 16, 2016

Ralph Gianino IV

March 16, 2016

DAD'S EULOGY

Growing up, I idolized one person, my dad. My dad symbolized strength and power. All symbols of strength (from cartoons, movies, sports heroes, etc.) were compared to my dad...and they didn't stand a chance. This held true throughout my entire life. I viewed him as invincible and knew I belonged to the most protected family on Earth. I now realize that the feeling of being protected is the most important gift we can give to our loved ones. This feeling' is responsible for who I am, how I cherish my family, how I unconditionally love my wife and promise to protect those who I love, just like my dad. Our strength and love for one another is a result of the sacrifices he made us, always putting his family first.

According to my dad, everything important starts with our family name: Gianino. To my dad, the name Gianino meant family, and included anyone who impacted his life. My dad's greatest priorities included protecting loved ones and raising sons who were fearless and proud of their family name. This pride was unconditional and demonstrated to us every day of our lives. I feel so fortunate to have had such a passionate teacher. I will always be able to hear him say family first and the pride in his voice when he pronounced our name: Gianino.

Being the fourth Ralph made me feel special and connected to my dad's endless stories... stories that I've heard a million times and will forever cherish... stories that I find myself telling to my children, hoping that my words have the same impact as my dad's. My dad's favorite stories were about how it was in the old days. These stories rarely included him, focusing on his dad, grandpa, and growing up on The Hill. Other stories reflected growing up in the same building as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. His childhood was surrounded by family and served as the template in which he would follow throughout his lifetime. These stories made me feel like I knew my grandpa personally, seeing my dad glow when he spoke of his father. He'll never know how sacred these stories are to me, the amount of detail I still remember, or how many times I've shared them with my own children.

My dad not only served as a father to his 3 sons, but as a father and mentor to his brothers, sisters, cousins and kids throughout the community. To most, this responsibility would be viewed as a burden, but to my father, it was considered one of his greatest honors. If you have ever called my dad Mr. G or Coach G, then you were treated like family. My dad's parental model was to Lead by Example. This often confused me since his favorite parental quote was do as I say, not as I do. He was the coach of our first sporting teams and would continue to coach his sons until we entered high school. He will be remembered as a role model to many, sacrificing work to ensure that sporting events would proceed as planned. His players, and our friends, were treated as loved ones and were given the same level of protection and encouragement as family. You would often find my dad with tears of pride after winning or losing games, when his sons were given recognition, or when he sang Happy Birthday at a family event. Throughout my entire childhood I had to explain why the toughest guy in Eureka was crying. Thank you dad for proving that real men show emotion, and that tears of joy should flow freely when you are so proud of someone or something.

As a younger man, I can hear my dad preaching about how he chose to spend his time on Earth. He happily sacrificed money and personal gain, to spend time with neighbors, friends and loved ones. My dad was willing to lose his job just to watch his sons play baseball or football. He chose to invest his time to his community and family, always making himself available when needed. He continued creating time by being the world's greatest grandpa, spending every available second developing and enriching our family for yet another generation. I hope you know, Dad, I was listening and watching you throughout my entire life. Your impression on me has structured the manner in which I will raise my family and contribute to my community. So often I asked for your advice and will continue to ask myself how you would respond. The greatest compliment anyone could ever give me is that I remind them of you.

As the oldest of six children, he took great pride in providing what he could, but more importantly, being there when his family needed him. His brothers admired his size and strength and never hesitated to show off their big, older brother. I cherished hearing stories about Wally at Steak-N-Shake, introducing himself to Mike's gambling buddies, and meeting Anthony's new friends at Happy Joe's. With the same amount of pride, he would brag about his sisters. How honored he was to accompany Ann to Father-Daughter events, and how intelligent Rachelle was, especially on Cardinal's trivia.

As strong as my father seemed to others, he always admired the strength of his mother. Her devotion and ability to strengthen the Gianino name during our family's greatest crisis served as his example for bravery and true unconditional love. He would often tell his sons that Grandma was the toughest person he had ever known. Her life has proven to us that excuses should be ignored and hardships are only opportunities to overcome. He credits his mother entirely for keeping the family together and ensuring our proud future. Most importantly, my dad was extremely grateful for his mother keeping the memories of his father alive. On many occasions, he mentioned how his mother's love and devotion to his dad continues to this day.

I assure you that my dad's love for his wife continued to grow throughout their 38 years of marriage. He often bragged of her beauty and how he persuaded others avoid my mom during high school. Their marriage will continue to serve as a model for their three sons, always demonstrating their love for family... together. My dad was known for his love poetry, thoughtful cards and flowers, but most importantly, his ability to say I Love You several times each day. I witnessed their love continue to grow as they made endless family decisions, planned events and dealt with success or tragedy. Their marriage defined the term unconditional, demonstrated the ability to compromise, and taught us all the meaning of teamwork.

My father felt honored and privileged being married to my mom. He would often make statements suggesting that she saved his life by dating, and later marrying him. Since my dad became ill, I witnessed my mom saving my dad once again. When most would hesitate, she stood by his side, willing to do whatever necessary to care for and comfort him. She refused to let him go without putting forth the fight of her life. My mom's love for my dad provided his family with unexpected precious months of life, allowing him say goodbye to both family and friends. I am so grateful for my mother, and now realize, that she was the source of my father's strength.

I will never be able to accept my dad's death, his lack of huge bear hugs, or random calls just to tell each grandchild how much he loved them. I will miss the letters he wrote for every occasion, just to remind me how special I was to him. Throughout my entire life, this man stood right by my side, providing the greatest level of support a dad/friend could give. I find comfort in knowing he'll never miss another grandchild's soccer or baseball game and that he will continue to lead our families as we attempt to add to his legacy. I promise Dad, that your death will strengthen our family because you taught us how to persevere, together. I can only wish that my children love and worship their father as I do mine.

You were EVERYTHING to EVERYBODY, and will be greatly missed... but mostly appreciated for the impact you made on each of our lives. I LOVE YOU DAD.

RALPH IV

February 27, 2016

February 25, 2016

February 24, 2016

Matt Metz

February 24, 2016

Pappa G,

I am typing this letter because my handwriting sucks! Also, I wanted to tell you how lucky and grateful that I am for having you in my life. You may not realize the impact that you have had on my life, and I am nearly positive, of many others. I admire the selfless actions and infinite amount of time that you have donated to help a countless number of young people and athletes.

As far as I can remember, you have always been around Eureka and Fox willing to do whatever and whenever to make things better. The image of you and Billy during practice, on Friday nights, or during 2 a days is one image that will be cherished and embedded in my mind forever.

My admiration for you as a father is great. I look at the character, integrity and loyalty of all three boys and accredit to you and Joanne. As a father, it is no surprise that you are proud of them, and should be. People like your boys are rare in this world. It is hard to find people and friends built like that, they are a direct reflection of their father. I love the fact that you're still involved in their lives, not just with the grandkids, but with their professional life. I reflect on a lot of things, one of those things is what kind of father I will be in 20 years from now. There is no question I want to be involved and supportive like you are with your boys. Thank you so much for that!!

Whenever I am around or even my kids are around you, you make me and them feel like the most important people in the world. There is no question that my kids and I love and admire the person you are. My kids ask if Mr. G Will be at the game, again, whenever you are around they feel special and important. I always look forward to a couple of jokes and a great Billy story, or a story about the 'ol days, even though I may have heard a thousand times, I still love hearing the stories about your boys as youngsters. The story in itself cracks me up, but the love in the look on your face when you talk about your kids is something I always look forward to.

Me. G, I could go on and on about the impression you have made on me and my family. But the thing I want you to understand is that you have made a huge impact on my life. There is no doubt that because of my relationship and association with you has made me a better person and a better father. I am continually thinking about you and I say daily prayers in hopes that the good Lord will provide you with strength, comfort and healing.

God Bless!

Matt Metz
*Matt wrote this to Ralph while Ralph was ill.