Ronald R. Parente, enjoyed carpentry, opera
Ronald R. Parente passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. He was born Feb. 19, 1928, the firstborn of Rose, from Potenza, Italy, and Frank Parente, Italian born in Argentina, from parents who were Italian food importers from Naples, Italy.
Ron graduated from Saunders Trade and Technical School in New York. He retired from a job in purchasing and maintenance at Akzo Chemical in Westchester, N.Y. Prior to that, he spent many years in the sign lettering industry.
Ron had been a very active volunteer in the Bradford Trolley Museum (now known as Shore Line Trolley Museum) in Connecticut. He was the second oldest member there, and one of its original founders. His 1894 Trolley (number 316) from the American Car Co. was donated by him to their collection a number of years ago. He also owned a 1927 Oldsmobile. Ron completely restored both historic vehicles. Often when metal or wooden replacement parts were unavailable, he re-created them.
In his previous parish church, St. Joseph’s, in New Windsor, N.Y. (in Orange County), he designed and made an altar, a tabernacle stand, lectern stands, podiums, plant stands, and just about every wooden item (except the chairs) and the main podium. Ron donated all of these, plus wooden paneling across the front of the church. He designed and made many wooded pieces of furniture for his children, from china cabinets to coffee tables, etc. Even though he had excellent skills in working with metals, plastics, and wood, like St. Joseph, he enjoyed carpentry the most. Ron’s favorite pastime was listening to opera, especially Verdi. He also personally met Pavarotti at the Met years ago. More than anything, Ron treasured the time spent with those he held most dear. He was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Loved by many, he will be forever missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.
Ron was preceded in death by his first wife Mary Parente (Listwan); and his younger brother Frank. He is survived by his three children from his first marriage: Richard, Therese and Ronald Jr.; three grandchildren, Rich, Nicole and Dakota; and one great-granddaughter, Lydia, through his first wife. His second wife, Gaeta (Calarco), who, like him, is a first-generation American, with Italian ancestry, also gave him three children: Denise, Victor and Susan; and six of his grandchildren, Caitlin, Kerry, Kelsey, Kristen, Amber and Ashley. He is also survived by his sisters: Mercedes Guenther and Dolores Livoti. Ron and Gaeta would have celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary this May.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 35318 Church Road, Frankford, where friends may visit beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at 1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6, at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W. Stevens Ave., Hawthorne, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, make donations to Shore Line Trolley Museum in Connecticut, shorelinetrolley.app.neoncrm.com/forms/ronparente.
Visit Ron's Life Memorial webpage and sign this virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
