Alfred John Rizzo, Jr.

Alfred John Rizzo, Jr. passed away on January 24, 2017 at his home in Newport Beach comforted by family and friends. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 on February 4, 2017 at Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster, California. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to The Multiple Sclerosis Society in the name of his beloved wife Lesly Ann Rizzo.

Al was born on October 17, 1928 in Queens New York to Agnes and Alfred Rizzo, Sr.. His father was a mechanic and with his sister Rose the family spent their first many years in Far Rockaway on Long Island.

In the early 1940’s Al’s father was transferred to NAS North Island on Coronado Island where he contributed to the war effort as a mechanic. This is where Al and sister Rose grew up and called home into adulthood. Not surprisingly he had various jobs in his youth and enjoyed working on cars with his buddies- one time driving all the way to Yuma, Arizona in search for a necessary part.

Al graduated from Coronado High School in 1947 and in 1949 married Margaret (Peggy) Seratt. For those first few years he was a “Culligan Man” while simultaneously working on the Coronado Island Ferry. In 1951 his first son, Kenneth Glenn Rizzo, was born and about that time he was introduced to what became a lifelong career in Drywall. 1n 1953 he relocated to Santa Ana, California along with his parents where he continued as a taper at the start of one the most significant residential building booms in American History. He was 6’ 6” tall making him the right guy for the job as “high work”, or ceilings, paid more. That same year Al met his best friend Dick Bolton (who would go on to be best man at his wedding to Lesly) and the two worked together for many years often testing new drywall tools for manufactures such as Ames.

In 1960 he met and married Lesly Ann Rizzo with whom he shared his life to the end and for whom he valiantly cared for at home after her stroke in 2000. In addition to getting married that year was the start of his first drywall company, Cal Wall Interiors. The 1960’s were prosperous and in 1968 a few years after the birth of two more sons, Patrick and Wayne, an opportunity came along to move from Costa Mesa to a then obscure part of Newport Beach, Newport Shores. A place he was proud to raise his boys as it reminded him of his childhood on Long Island and Coronado Island. Always thinking ahead, he bought a house with a flat roof on which he added a large second floor which he was extremely proud of.

The 1970’s was another prosperous era beginning with short tenures at Hines and Bolton, the Mud Plant (co-owned with Tom Covington) and the Walter T. Covington Company- Tom Covington became one of Al’s closest friends until his passing in 2003. Most of the 1970’s were spent as General Manager of the Drywall Division at Western Plastering. These were the early days of the massive tracts in Mission Viejo and Irvine. Being a large company Al managed hundreds of guys who finished the walls and ceilings of thousands of homes. In 1982 he left Western Plastering to work for another large outfit but by the late 1980’s the industry as he knew it had changed. Since he always did weekend side jobs, and doing the labor himself, he decided to return to a smaller scale. He bought a spray rig, trained a few guys and rolled up his sleeves along side them. This continued until early 2000 when Lesly had her stroke and that day two loves of his life were forever altered. He officially retired that day and spent everyday after caring for his wife.

Al had a reputation for being an extremely hard worker in his industry from the beginning. He had few hobbies: he did not play golf, he did not make model ships in bottles and some assumed he had few friends. But his work was also his hobby and some of the guys that worked with or for him (many of whom he trained) throughout the many decades of his career became lifelong friends. If you showed potential and worked hard you were treated fairly, with respect and often promoted up the ranks. He was also a very generous man in some very surprising ways. A few of these guys referred to above assisted in telling Al’s story: Dick Bolton, Greg Heyl, Don Ciders, Larry Rickabaugh, Tommy Lee and Craig Rump. Much appreciation to you all.

Al is survived by his wife Lesly; his sister, Rose Mackie; sons Ken and Wayne; and many grandchildren nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Agnes and Al Sr., and his son Patrick. R.I.P Big Al

Arrangements under the direction of Westminster Memorial Park Mortuary ~FD1030, Westminster, CA.