Ralph Casalino, passed from this life on September 17th at the age of 94 to be reunited with his wife, Pauline, to whom he was devoted to for 65 years. Born in Gravina di Puglia in 1922, he came to America at the age of 6 and survived the Great Depression, WWII, cancer and lived 93 years fully, independently, and with gusto.
Ralph was an accomplished man. As a child, he delivered ice with father, Gaetano, and shined shoes after school. After serving our country in WWII in the Philippines, he became a tool & die maker, working his way up to Foreman. At the age of 46, he started night school at the City University of New York and graduated with honors at the age of 52. While attending night school, he became an Industrial Arts Teacher at Ft. Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He loved to teach and to this day he maintains close friendship with many of his fellow teachers as well as his students. He was a gifted craftsman and artisan, working extensively in wood and metal. He spent hours in his home shop crafting beautiful and unique creations.
Ralph was a great storyteller and loved to regale people with tales from his childhood in Gravina, coming to America on the ‘banana boat’, and especially the story of how he met and courted Pauline. He never let anyone forget he was an F.B.I. man - a full blooded Italian! The eldest of 5 children, his favorite expression was “Mama made me 1st and made me best!”
Ralph loved sports, especially his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers which was reflected when he coached Little League as a young father. In his youth, he participated in gymnastics. He loved to play bocce and organized many tournaments for friends and family. He loved music and dancing. He and Pauline were avid ballroom dancers and accomplished square dancers, winning many awards.
More than anything, Ralph cherished his family, especially his children Francine and Ralph Jr. & his wife, Joanna as well as his many “surrogate daughters” he adopted over the years. Now reunited with Pauline, his parents Gaetano & Francesca, and brother Mike, he is survived by his sister Marianne and brothers Larry & Steve.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 2-4 & 7-9 pm Friday at the Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, Ocean Township. Funeral Mass will be offered at 10:30 am Saturday at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, 800 Ocean Avenue in West End, Long Branch. Entombment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Neptune. In lieu of flowers, contributions to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital will be appreciated:https://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/donation.do?cID=14262&pID=24671