John Mario Risso

On February 14, 1968, everyone here and many more lives were changed forever. John Mario Risso was born to Joyce and John. John would always say he was born on Valentine's Day because he was a lover.

In his childhood, John was the first born, a quiet, calm baby. Little did we all know, it was the quiet before the rock concert that was his life. He was an amazing big brother, first to his twin siblings, Mark and Noelle. He was a protector to them and them to him. A few years later, he became a big brother again to his baby brother, Steve, who loved ones also called Butch. He taught them all the ways of mischief. He was responsible and loving to all three of them. The influence he had on each of them has been carried with them through today. John loved playing baseball and also playing football on Sunday with his brothers and his sister would always out there try to get in the game. He love his mom’s pasta, she made the best Lasagna, his favorite meal.

He was a lover of all genres of music, attending concerts, especially Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses. He loved his friends and cousins, and spending time with his family. He loved to party with a local band, the Bleeding Hearts, and grew a lifelong friendship with Earl, the lead singer.

As a young adult, he had a multitude of skills including working on cars, which led to a passion for classic cars, the faster the better, including his first car, a Trans-Am. He enjoyed car shows and festivals. John also had amazing cooking skills which led to him working at his favorite job, Crabby Bill's. He worked there for most of his life, where he made lifetime friends.

He became a father with his firstborn, Brandon, who has the John Risso smirk. Later in life he met the love of his lifetime, his wife Becky, and had a baby girl, Samantha, who is the spitting image of her father, and became a father to Katelyn and Christian, who he always considered his own. He was sentimental man, and planned his proposal to Becky when all of their families could be present on Christmas Day. Their wedding was beautiful, filled with all their loved ones and close friends. John and Becky's honeymoon was a trip to Las Vegas, spent with his brother Steve and wife Kristen. He won $1,700 in the first few hours.

He loved to gamble, regular trips to the Dog Track (just like Poppy), and the Hard Rock in Tampa, Las Vegas and cruises were his favorite places. He visited California to see his friend Erik and his son, Dylan. John enjoyed swimming, barbecuing and going fishing. John enjoyed trips to Orlando with his wife, children. His favorite things were visiting Old Towne, seeing the car shows, and of course the comfy hotel beds.

He always made time for family, including visits to his mother and step dad's (Steven) home, and his brother Mark's for holidays and barbecues. He visited his mother-in-law Jan almost every day. Anytime his sister Noelle would receive rooms at the Hard Rock, she always offered them to John. John and Steve would always take turns visiting each week and going out to eat or to the track. Anytime a loved one needed help, he was there, doing what he could. Unfortunately, John was never able to meet his newest nephew, Noah John Risso, who was given his namesake in representation of the strength and perseverance John had every day of his life until his last day.

John Risso was the kind of man that if you met him, he was engraved in your mind forever. He had an impact on every single person he came across. The experiences he had could be made into one of the best films of all time.

He is gone, but he has been reunited with some of the people he had missed so much in life including Nannie and Poppy; his best friend Adam; Grandma Emma; Becky's dad, Woody; her grandmother, Barb; his precious dog Sebastian lovingly known as Boo; and all the loved ones in Heaven.

John Mario Risso is a guardian angel to all that he is survived by, his amazing wife Rebecca; his mother Joyce, his father John, his stepfather Steven and mother-in-law Jan. His children, Brandon, 20, Samantha, 14, Christian, 21, and Katelyn, 19. His brother Mark, wife Ramona and daughter Lydia and son Kevin, His sister Noelle, husband Rob, daughters Chas, Ashley, Alyssa and son Austin. His brother Steve, wife Kristen, son Tyler, Noah, and daughter Bailey. His sister-in-law Jenn, husband Jamey, and son Tyler. His Aunt Mary and all his nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends, and his spoiled dog, Miley.

Visitation held Saturday, April 4, 2020 from 1 - 3pm and 5 - 7pm at Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home practicing social distancing.

Private graveside service held at Garden Sanctuary Cemetery.

Arrangements were made under the direction of Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home, 7950 131st Street, Seminole, FL 33776 / 727-391-0121.