Richard Emil Zollo

Richard Emil Zollo was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Richard was born on March 7, 1931 at Brooklyn New York Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Emil and Catherine Zollo. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

As a young child, Richard was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Richard developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Richard took part in baseball, football, stickball, and bowling. In his spare time he liked collecting baseball cards and singing. However, what Richard enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Richard as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1947. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was wood working. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Levy. Richard will be remembered for being the captain of the baseball team and President of New York Sons of Italy. Richard was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Richard always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Richard was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Richard was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Richard to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Joe Rigano, Tony DeRosa, Carmine Tanello, Johnny DeRosa, and Bucky Grillo.

On February 20, 1954 Richard exchanged wedding vows with Josephine Pennisi at the Lady of Lords Church of Brooklyn, New York. Compassionate and devoted to Josephine, Richard held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Josephine and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Richard brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Richard was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Richard was blessed with three children: Ricky, Jimmy, and Tommy.

Richard greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Richard enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Richard was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was as a New York City Fireman. He was employed for 25 years with the New York City Fire Department. Richard worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Richard was an Army veteran. He was stationed in Korea during the Korean War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Corporal. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Medal, U. N. Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Richard seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Richard liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Richard always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were dancing, singing, and carpentry. Richard was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Richard found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Richard played baseball, softball, and bowling. Recreational sports included baseball, bowling, and football. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, hockey, and football.

Richard was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of Our Lady of Lords and St. Piusx. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Richard enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Richard appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Richard always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Bahamas and Poconos.

When Richard’s retirement finally arrived in 1985, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. In retirement, he found new pleasure in participating in the Sons of Italy and the Italian American Club. Even in retirement, Richard continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Richard Emil Zollo passed away on January 7, 2011 in the arms of his family after suffering complications from multiple illnesses. He is survived by his beloved wife, Josephine and his sons: Ricky, Jimmy, and Tommy. Services were held at Palm Mortuary, Eastern Chapel. Richard was laid to rest in Palm Eastern Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Richard Emil Zollo. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Funeral Home, Las Vegas, NV.