Alfred A Agrifoglio

On March 1, 2024, we lost our wonderful father. If you ever met our dad, Al Agrifoglio, I am sure you know what a loss it is. He was the kind of person who never met a stranger and always had a story. We are going to try to give some of his history and share some stories and life memories that made him such a special person.

He was born in Chicago, IL on May 24, 1933. His parents were Gertrude and Oscar Agrifoglio. He had a brother James, Uncle Jimmy to us. They were so much more than just brothers; they were the best of friends. He really enjoyed his brothers’ company and phone calls. They were close his whole life. He grew up in tough times and started working young, which developed a strong work ethic. He had stories of his paper route, working at Riverview and working at an electronics factory. He eventually started an apprenticeship in painting and decorating. He made a lifelong career of painting, first working for other companies then starting his own successful painting contractor business. He took great pride in his business and enjoyed teaching and mentoring the guys that worked for him.

Our dad was lucky to meet the love his life when he 13 years old. He would love to tell the story of how they met. He first saw her at the roller rink. Not long after he was at a party, and he saw her walk in the door. He told the rest of the boys at the party that was “his girl” and to stay away from her. He loved to talk about their early days driving on his scooter or later in the car getting a pizza and taking it to the park to eat. They would go roller skating even into their fifties. They always loved dancing and looked beautiful together when they danced. Unfortunately, our mom passed away twelve years before my dad. He never got over that loss. He was lost without her.

We were lucky to have the best father anyone could ask for. He became a dad at just 19 years old. Lynda was his first daughter. A few years after Lynda was born, they had their one and only son, Tommy. They both died too soon. We miss them terribly. Next came three more girls, Donna, Nancy and Patty. His family began to grow which he loved! His first grandson David, son of Lynda married a wonderful girl Gretta, and they gave him his first great-granddaughter. The next two grandsons were Donna and Ralphs sons Eric and Daniel. Then came two more grandchildren Michael and Jessica, Nancy and Garys kids. Then Patty and John gave him two more grandchildren, Joshua and Elise. He was proud of all his kids and grandkids.

Our dad took his role as a father and mentor very seriously. He instilled a good work ethic, taught us the value of a good education and how to save money. As our 10th Birthday gift, we were given $10.00 to open a savings account and an additional $1.00 per week to be deposited into that account for a whole year. He taught us how to fill out our own deposit slip and took us to the bank every Friday with our $1.00 deposit. That is how he taught us to save.

He loved to travel and to share stories of his adventures. Whether it was a trip with him and my mom or a full out family trip, he loved it. Sometimes they would just get in the car and go. He was always up for adventure.

Our dad will be missed by all of us very much. He is at peace and out of pain. We take comfort in knowing that he is reunited with our mother, sister, brother and the rest of his family that were there to greet him in heaven.