Obituary of Ralph Garofalo

Waterloo - Ralph J. Garofalo, Sr., 94, formerly of 25 Mill St., died Wednesday (Dec. 4, 2013) at Living Center South in Geneva. Friends may call 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 8) at Coe-Genung Funeral Home in Waterloo. Military rites will be 7 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 8) at the funeral home by members of Waterloo Memorial Post 6433, V.F.W. and Warner VanRiper Post 435, American Legion. The funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday (Dec. 9) at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Center St., Waterloo. Rev. James Fennessy, pastor, will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Home, P. O. Box 516, Seneca Falls, NY, 13148 or St. Francis/St. Clare Parish, 25 Center St., Waterloo, NY, 13165. Ralph was born Nov. 22, 1919 in Waterloo, the son of Peter and Rose Alessio Garofalo. He was a 1937 graduate of Waterloo High School. He was a W. W. II Navy veteran serving from 1942 to 1945 on a torpedo boat squadron in the Pacific. His squadron evacuated Gen. MacArthur from Correggidor. Returning to the states he was employed as a machinist with the American Can Co. in Geneva, until becoming employed as a carpenter through the Carpenters Union in Binghamton. He worked for Brown-Hoyt , Inc. and Steward and Bennett companies. He was a foreman and superintendent for such projects as, CCFL, Midlakes Schools, and Geneva General Hospital. He was a longtime communicant of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Ralph was a member of Waterloo Memorial Post 6433, V.F.W. and a Seneca County Democratic Party Committee man. He is survived by daughters, Rose (Massimo) Giovannini of Seneca Falls, Carol Garafalo of Waterloo, and Marie (Eugene) Palmer of Lyons; sons, Ralph Garafalo, Richard Garafalo both of Waterloo, and Stephen (Heather) Garafalo, of Friendswood, TX; twelve grandchildren, Jacqueline Taylor, Kristen Wagner, Michael DeSain, Casey and Jennifer Dare, Christopher, Tyler, Kimberly, Michael, Catherine, and Rosemary Garafalo and Joseph Arena; ten great grandchildren; sister, Jane (William) DeGregorio of Tewksbury, MA; brother, James (Bundie) Garofalo of Gallatin, TN; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his bride of 58 years, Jennie Stirpe Garofalo in 2006; sisters, Anne Garofalo in 1941 and Carmela Dimon in 2013; brothers, Victor Garofalo in 1918 and Arthur Garofalo in 1999. Condolences for the family may be sent to www.coegenungfuneralhome.com.