Obituary of Giuseppe "Joe" Ripa

Giuseppe "Joe" Ripa Giuseppe Ripa, 82, of Virginia Beach, VA, and formerly of Rome, NY, passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2014, at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. He was born in Gioia del Colle, Bari, Italy, on April 26, 1932, a son of the late Frank and Isabella Alanzi Ripa. As a young man, Joe came to the United States and made his home in Rome. On June 9, 1962, he married the former Viola D'Amore at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. While Joe lived in Rome, he was a communicant of St John's. Joe retired from the former Rome State School. Prior to that, he was employed at Joseph and Feiss, as well as Revere Printing. Joe was an avid gardener, and he canned his homemade tomatoes which were used for the sauce at Sunday dinners. Family dinners always began with prayer, followed by "Mange!" Joe loved his family both here and in Italy. Joe may have left Italy at a young age, but Italy never left his heart. Surviving besides his loving and devoted wife of fifty two years, Viola, of Virginia Beach, VA, are four sons and daughters-in-law, Frank and Beth (Dundervil) Ripa, Virginia Beach, VA, Donato "Dan" and Donna (Nardslico) Ripa, Rome, Joseph "Joey" and Tracy (Thomas) Ripa, Virginia Beach, VA, and Riccardo "Ric" and Amber (Mullen) Ripa, Rome, ten cherished grandchildren: Joseph, Santo, Jolene, Domenica, Grace, Amelio, Dominick, Michael, Madeline, and Mateo. Also surviving are two brothers, Antonio Ripa, Franco and his wife Anna Maria Ripa, all of Italy, two sisters, Maria and her husband Peppino Cantore and, Sister Theresina Ripa, Suore Oblate Benedettine di S, all of Italy, two sister-in-laws Margaret Ripa, Miami, FL, and Vita and her husband Lawrence Davis, Pennsylvania, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Frank and Isabella Ripa, his father-in-law and mother-in-law Donate and Susan D'Amore, a brother, Angelo Ripa, and sisters-in-law, Lia Ripa and Rosanna Arndt. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the nursing staff at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital for their care and compassion Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 10:15 a.m. from the Nicholas J. Bush Funeral Home, Inc., 218 W. Court St. and at St. John the Baptist Church at 11:00 a.m., where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Burial will be in St. John the Baptist Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, January 4, 2015 from 2-4 p.m. To offer online condolences, please visit www.njbushfuneralhome.com