Ritchard Carmen Naccarato

Surrounded by the love of his mother and sisters, Ritchard Naccarato passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the Sault Area Hospital at the age of 69.

Beloved son of Angie Harris and the late Giuseppe Naccarato, and cherished stepson of the late Stuart Harris. Much loved son-in-law of the late Dominic George and the late Pasqualina George.

Above all else, Ritchard was a devoted and proud father. His children, Richard "Ricky" and Erica Naccarato, were the absolute centre of his world. He spoke of them often and with immense pride, celebrating every milestone and moment, big or small. His love for them was unwavering, and anyone who knew him knew how deeply he cared for and believed in them.

Dear brother of Micheline Naccarato (Joanne), Mary Ann Suraci (Michael), Lydia Foster (Ron), and Palma Gervasi (Bruno). Ritchard shared close bonds with his siblings and their families. He will also be fondly remembered by Josie, the mother of his children. Cherished brother-in-law of Lora Frechet(Simon), Marg Giorgio, and Elliott Giorgio (Yolanda) who continued to hold a place in his heart. He was a proud uncle who cherished time with his nieces and nephews, and had a special soft spot for the newest generation of great-nieces and nephews — always ready with a hug, a song, or a fist bump. Being “Uncle Ritchie” or “Zio” was one of his greatest joys. Fondly remembered by his aunts, uncles and many cousins.

Ritchard’s life was filled with friendship—too many dear friends to name, each one a valued part of his journey. He spent countless hours on the phone sharing stories, laughter, and memories with those he held close. Among them, Marsha stood out as a constant presence, visiting him faithfully every week and remaining by his side until the very end.

Known for his quick wit and legendary storytelling, Ritch could light up any room. Whether he was sipping a fresh Timmies coffee, telling a joke, or glued to the TV cheering for the Leafs or the Jays, he had a way of bringing people together and making every moment memorable.

Ritchard lived with immense generosity, loyalty, laughter, and love – and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thank-you to the compassionate staff at the F.J. Davey Home on Apple Orchard 1, and to the dedicated doctors and nurses at the Sault Area Hospital, especially Dr. Shafiee, Dr. Kelly, Dr. Fritz and the late Dr. Fratesi for their exceptional care and kindness.

Friends and family are invited to visit Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E., 705-759-2522) on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service in the chapel at 12:00 noon officiated by Father Jeff Shannon. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the F.J. Davey Home or Diabetes Association. Please visit www.arthurfuneralhome.com obituaries section to leave a message of condolence as a keepsake for the family.

As read By Angela and Victoria

Nathan Lee Allen once said “We are all visitors to this time, to this place; we are all just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love and then we return home”. We stand here today on behalf of our cousins to speak on such an incredible person in which we had the pleasure of knowing and sharing over the years.

He was a son, a brother, a father, a spouse, a good friend to all and the best uncle Ritchie. To know him was to love him.

It all started out when the twins were born and shortly after my sister. An unbreakable trio, the three amigos or as they pretended to be “The Hansen Brothers”. Then came me, the little sister they never had, the pain in the butt, the silly firecracker and pot stirrer. Us four, thick as thieves and uncle made sure it stayed that way.

Many travelling weekends with a 5 am start to the day that the twins hated but sat through just so we could all be reunited. We would sit by the window and as years went on… our phones counting the hours till we got to be together again. Let me tell you although 8 hours away the bond that was built between us was cause of him and always grew stronger after each visit.

Family was always his number one and it showed. He never failed to bring us something special from his endeavours especially his stories. Sitting around the table listening to him was captivating, you felt like you were actually there. He always made sure to throw in some crazy jokes that now as we got older we realized were wildly inappropriate.

In his last few years of his life we had the opportunity to grow a connection with uncle that truly was special. When he moved home aunty Mickey and our mom Palma took him in, although sometimes tough, we all selfishly could not have been more thrilled to have him back home and in our lives more often. Unfortunately, that came with being apart from the twins which was so hard for him but I hope we made up for it even just a little bit.

Despite his lack of sight, he knew that there was a lot of love surrounding him. Whether it was simply sneaking him a hot Timmy's coffee, just the way he liked it with lots of cream and sugar. The sound of a small high pitched bark for a lift on the bed from lexi girl. Or the creek of his bedroom door and little hands reaching out for “knucks” saying “hi uncle ritchie”. He would shout “Alexa play old McDonald” and the music would be blaring - kids laughing, clapping and dancing.

We watched our childhood unfold all over again with him in our home. The love he shared for our babies was something we will cherish forever.

To say he left a life of legacy would be an understatement, he touched many hearts with his kindness, love and laughter. The patience this man had with the chaos surrounding him was something surely incredible or maybe he tuned it all out with the ball game but either way, he never complained. Actually he did, but probably because my dad was feeding him his secret ingredient minestra once a week.

As we stand here today, I hope he's eating the best prime rib at those golden gates. I hope he's dancing and singing without having to hold on to something. I hope he is telling jokes around a poker table. I hope he's looking down on us today with crystal clear vision and smiling at everyone who has gathered here to celebrate a beautiful life and human being.

Someone once told me, you may not have got to spend the rest of your life with them, but they got to spend the rest of their life with you. Isn’t that something special?

We are forever grateful for that time & thank the twins for sharing him with us.

We love you & will miss you so dearly uncle!

Eulogy for Ritchard As read by Mickey

Good morning everyone. Our family, our mother Angela, Ritchard’s children Ricky and Erica and Josie their mom and my siblings Mary Ann, Lydia and Palma along with their families want to thank you all for coming to honour Ritchard today with your presence. It means a great deal to us to have you here.

Our brother Ritchard came into this world in February of 1956 prematurely and spent some extra days in hospital in order to “bulk up” before he could go home. He became a chubby little baby fairly quickly, too chubby to even crawl and so he pulled himself around with his legs, sliding on his bum. He always had a huge smile on his face and bright twinkling eyes. That little boy grew into a tall and handsome athletic young man. He had traits of both the Maccarone and Naccarato sides of his heritage depending on what angle you were viewing him from but in the end, the Naccarato strain won out.

As the only boy in a family of 5, an Italian family of five, the bearer of the name, you can only imagine how many dishes he didn’t have to wash or how many clothes he didn’t have to iron, toilets he didn’t have to clean…not to mention curfews he didn’t have to honour. He was the “golden boy” and we, his sisters never let him forget it.

Ritchard was always involved in sports. He played baseball, hockey, football and golf but he enjoyed all sports in general. He played for our local Soo Steelers when Len Monoco was their coach, and he still has many friends from those days. A group of those players came to visit him when he was staying at our home, and they had many stories to tell and many good laughs. In these last years, when he was limited by illness and blindness, he never missed a Blue Jays telecast or NFL games especially when his Buffalo Bills were playing. Our mom is also an avid baseball fan, and she is going to miss the calls from her son reminding her of the time when the Jay’s games would begin.

Ritchard had a wonderful sense of humour and could tell a story with a big smile and a twinkle in his eye. He would make my mom laugh in the dining room at the Davey Home when, even though he couldn’t see, he would warn her not to burn her mouth on the soup, which was always served lukewarm. I was sitting on the bed in his room a few weeks ago on the day before mum’s 87th birthday and he said “yep, mom turns 87 tomorrow and the next day she’ll start telling people she’s almost 88. He would just come out with things that made us all laugh.

Ritchard had a very broad circle of friends and when he lived in Toronto, any time he came home he would call his friends here and try to get together with them. He moved back to the Soo 5 years ago and sick as he was at the time he stayed in touch with some of the men he worked with in home construction in Toronto and those weekly chats lifted his spirits and kept those friendships alive.

In the last few years, his friend Marsha learned that he was back in the Soo and not well. She called and went to visit him at Palma’s house, and she promised him she would visit him every Wednesday and she remained faithful to that promise. She is an example of a true friend, who is there in time of need, and we want to thank you Marsha for your dedication to our brother and your friendship.

Dom, he enjoyed your visits and your sense of humour, and he had fond memories of those years when you worked together. The visits and calls from Johnny and Worm as well. Those trips down memory lane were so good for him.

During his last year in Brampton, Ritchard’s health took a downward turn. His vision was declining significantly, and he also required several surgeries from which he was slow to heal. It was clear that he could no longer return to his job, and it would be increasingly difficult for him to live independently. After visits from Palma and Mary Ann, it was decided that it would be best for him to return to the Soo when he was ready for discharge. Covid changed everything. He was discharged sooner than expected and he returned to the Soo with his

extensive medical file in hand and he began what would be a 10 month wound care process, with health care professionals visiting him daily and tending to other issues as they arose. He was not well and the fact that he lived for the past 5 years was due the tremendous assist he received from Dr. Shaffie, the late Dr. Fratesi and his wound care nurse Holly Fabrraro. Since admission to the Davey Home, Dr. Fritz oversaw his medical care, and we thank him for his diligence in seeing to the needs of Ritchard. We would be remiss to not mention the excellent nursing care he received from the staff on Apple Orchard, and he was the kind of resident they wish they had more of. He will be missed.

Ritchard was a man who loved children, all children but none more than his own children, Ricky and Erica. From the moment they came into this world, he was a doting father. He took an interest in their interests, and he cherished every moment he spent with them. He spoke with them every day since returning to the Soo and he missed them immensely. He was proud of you both and spoke of you often to friends and family. We know you miss him very much and we miss him too.

He loved the new generation of children in our family, the great nieces and nephews and they loved him too. They called him Uncle Richie or just Unc and they ran to his room at Palma’s when they visited and he would scoop them up and tickle them and get his kiddie fix. It was a delight to see.

In closing, I want to say how much Ritchard meant to us, his family. To our mother Angie, he was always ‘my son’ and we actually didn’t know his name until he got married. That’s all she ever called him. We, his sisters on the other hand, referred to him as King Ritchard but we were blessed with the best brother, and we have many fond memories which will be shared for many years ahead.

We all played a part in the care of our brother, but it must be said that the sister that gave the most was Palma and her husband Bruno. She was the one who returned from visiting him in hospital in Toronto and said, ‘we have to get him home’. Being a nurse in the long-term care sector, she knew that he

needed more care than she could provide him at her home and one last hospitalization ensured that he would transfer to the Davey Home. We want you to know Palma, that we appreciate the special care you gave to our brother, and I know his children and their mom also appreciate all that you did for him. He too was very grateful, and you gave our brother the special gift of your nursing knowledge but above all, your love.

We all miss Ritchard very much already, but we are grateful to have had him for as long as we did. His last years were difficult, made less so we hope by our love and care. May he now rest in peace and look after us as we trudge along through life.