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BORN
1940
DIED
2025
Ronald Cestaro Obituary
January 17, 1940 - March 12, 2025
Ronald Cestaro passed away peacefully at home on March 12, 2025. He recently celebrated his 85th birthday with family during his final remission from brain cancer.
Ron was born in Bronx, New York, to Alexander and Clara Cestaro. While his three older brothers - Patrick, Alex, and Richard Cestaro - worked in their father's butcher shop, Ron as a youth maintained the store and their brownstone. Ron could fix anything. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and Manhattan College before obtaining his master's degree in Electrical Engineering from New York University. For more than 50 years, Ron's career as a defense contractor spanned from government projects such as President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative "Star Wars," to rockets and other missile defense systems.
He and his beloved wife of nearly 56 years, Carol, relocated from Burke to Richmond in 2021. In addition to his sweetheart, Ron is survived by daughters Christine and Joanna Cestaro, and grandchildren Sophia, Jackson, and Rebecca. Ron spent his life devoted to family, friends, and the church, where he served with the Knights of Columbus.
He was a great, albeit messy, cook - taking pride in making homemade fettuccine, zeppole, and his beloved Mickey Mouse pancakes. He also showcased his artistic talents with his stained glass windows and ornate, cursive penmanship. He enjoyed spending time reading history books and tooling around his workshop. When lymphoma robbed him of his eyesight, his brilliant mind still captured to memory details that rivaled a professor. He loved to discuss religion, history, and politics with anyone willing to engage.
Despite losing his fifth battle with cancer, his doctors marvelled at his undying strength, calling him "bionic." Ron's perseverance and faith guided him throughout each illness, all without complaint. He was a true gentleman - an honest, loyal, generous, and devoted patriarch who will be greatly missed.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Saturday, March 15th, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, with interment to follow at Hollywood Cemetery.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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