Mr. Anthony Angelo Rossi Jr.

Anthony Angelo Rossi Jr., also known as, Tony Rossi was born August 16, 1941 in Akron, Ohio to parents Anthony Rossi Sr. (World War II Army Veteran/artist and sign painter) and Lucy Ellena Caruso Rossi (Homemaker) and passed away May 10, 2024 in Fresno, California at the age of 82 years.

His grandparents immigrated from Abruzzo, Italy to Ellis Island, New York and eventually settled in Akron, Ohio. His family then moved to Redwood City, California where Tony grew up and graduated from Sequoia High School where he excelled in football, orchestra, track, A Cappella Choir, basketball, and Brigadoon.

He proudly served as an Airman First Class REGAF in the United States Air Force for 6 years, serving during the Vietnam War. After completing his service in the Air Force, he contemplated becoming a priest, but met Susie Manahan by asking her to dance at a Marin Catholic Social Club event and fell in love. He then decided to attend college, and his dream was to become a famous sports broadcaster like Howard Cosell. Tony was the first in his family to graduate from college. He graduated with a master’s degree in radio broadcasting and speech communications from San Francisco State University. In the 1970s he was on television and radio as a sports broadcaster. He would also moonlight as a radio disc jockey and loved to play oldies, country music, and classic rock. He later became a radio station owner of KUBB Country, KLOQ AM station, 104.7 FM, and Tony Rossi Sports. He was a reporter and sports announcer where he became the voice of Merced College and local High School Sports (Football, Basketball and Baseball) and Central Valley High School Athletics. He especially enjoyed interviewing all of the up and coming athletes in High School and College through the years.

In 1989 one of Tony’s lifelong dreams came true. He was able to broadcast the Battle of the Bay game between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's. During that game he was given the opportunity of interviewing baseball player Jose Canseco of the Oakland A's and legendary San Francisco Giants baseball team manager Roger Craig.

After retiring from broadcasting, he was a substitute teacher throughout the San Joaquin Valley at various high schools and community colleges.

Over the years, whether there was music or not, Tony loved to dance and did so at every opportunity. He became the dancing ambassador at the local Hampshire Home. He was a member of the Merced Breakfast Lions Club and the Italo American Lodge and was very well known in the community.

Tony married Susie (Manahan) Rossi on February 26, 1968. Susie was the special events coordinator of the Merced Downtown Association. Together they were very involved in the Merced County Fair, with Tony announcing the rodeos, auto races, pie eating and food eating contests, beauty pageants and rodeo queens, as well as interviewing celebrity musicians and bands, and Susie founding the scarecrow contest and organizing the nightly parades.

Tony and Susie leave behind three children, Kenny Rossi, Lori Gallo (Mike Gallo) and Denise Rossi (Navy Veteran); four grandchildren Monay Rossi, Alahzay Rossi, Avounay Rossi and Marco Gallo, and two great-grandchildren Alynna Rossi and Hailo Hodges. He is survived by his sisters Carole Gianuario (Robert Gianuario) and Lucille Fox. Tony is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents Anthony Angelo Rossi Sr. and Lucy Ellena Caruso Rossi, his first-born son Thomas John (TJ) Rossi, Susie Rossi, and brother-in-law, V. David Manahan.

Special thanks to Amie Marchini Home/Senior Care, Donna Hurley River Bluff Memory Care, Orchard Post-Acute Skilled Facility and Heritage Crossing Hospice. We would like to especially thank the Veterans, First Responders, Doctors, Nurses, Caregivers, and the Veterans Hospitals who took care of our father over the last dozen years, with his battle with Alzheimer’s Dementia.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. with the rosary beginning at 1:30 p.m. and funeral mass at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 459 W. 21st Street Merced, CA. Supper to follow mass. Graveside service will be held on Friday, May 24, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, 32053 McCabe Road, Santa Nella, California.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Peter J. Gallo Memorial Foundation at PO Box 775 Atwater, California 95301.