Ralph Thomas Fetto

Ralph Thomas Fetto passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Fort Pierce, FL on Friday September 2nd at the age of 82. Ralph is survived by his wife Joan of 58 years; son Thomas Fetto and wife Robin of New Fairfield, CT; daughter Jeanine Diller and husband Erich of Sherman, CT and five grandchildren; Ryan, Daniel, Nathalie, Justin and Jake. Ralph is also survived by his two sisters Kathryn Aurrichio of Southampton, NY and Maryann Chicco of The Villages, FL.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on February 22, 1940, he was the son of Helen and Thomas Fetto and the youngest of three children with older sisters Kathryn and Maryann. He grew up in Ridgewood, Queens and graduated from Grover Cleveland H.S. in 1958. Ralph met the love of his life Joan Agnes Honigman (Fetto) at a neighborhood dance and they were married on April 18,1964 in Queens, NY. They were inseparable ever since.

Ralph served in the U.S. Army Reserves in the early 1960's and after his discharge was a heavy equipment operator in the New York area. He eventually settled into a long career as a Lineman, Foreman and Engineer with New York Telephone and its successive entities. He was a talented Baseball and Basketball player throughout his youth and took his love of sport to coaching for his kids. A true New Yorker, Ralph was a dedicated lifelong NY Yankees, Knicks and Jets fan and followed them faithfully through all the ups and downs.

Ralph was a great friend and still kept in touch with many of his childhood friends from Queens and his family's neighborhood friends from Yorktown and New Fairfield. He enjoyed singing, dancing, travelling, going to the beach, family get-togethers and spent many summers with his in-laws; Frank and Agnes Honigman; and their extended family at their country home in Hawley, PA.

Over the years, Ralph and Joan made their family homes in Yorktown Heights, NY; North Salem, NY; New Fairfield, CT and for the last several years in Ocean Village, Fort Pierce, FL.

Family was everything to Ralph. He has a very large extended family and he will be remembered by all as fun loving and full of life. Ralph's sense of humour, smile and laugh was contagious and his enthusiasm rubbed off on so many people he met. He was always thinking of others and loved to play games with his grandkids. Especially having pizza and ice cream parties with them. Halloween and Christmas at Joan and Ralph's house was not to be missed as one of his great joys was to spoil his grandkids. Simply put, he was a great brother and uncle and an incredible father and grandfather.

Ralph will be sorely missed by all of those he shared his life with.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimers Association at alz.org on behalf of his wife Joan.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.