PORTLAND, MAINE – Ralph Troiano, 82, of Portland passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 surrounded by his loving family.
Ralph was born on August 8, 1924 in Warren, Ohio, a son of Guiseppi A. and Tomasina (Lapomardo) Troiano. He has lived in Portland since attending Portland High School where he met his lifetime friend and love of his life, Anna M. “Mary” Fusco. They married and celebrated their 63rd anniversary on August 22nd. He received his GED in 1972 and was valedictorian of his night school class graduating one month before his youngest son.
He served in the Navy during WWII aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain seeing duty in the Mediterranean Sea. He worked directly for the ship’s captain and served as a translator in Italy.
Ralph was proud of his professional boxing career. He started boxing at a very early age defending his street corner while selling newspapers in Warren, Ohio. By the age of 15, he had won the Tri-State (Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia) Golden Glove championship. In Portland, he was affectionately known as the “Pride of Middle Street”. He was an exciting boxer to watch who didn’t backup. His professional record was 43-2-1 and he held a long standing Maine boxing record: a 14 second first round knock-out at the Expo.
Ralph always worked hard to provide for his family. He was a lifetime member of the Bricklayer’s Union. On any drive through Portland, he could point to building after building that he worked on. He was very proud of the brick house he built for his family 50 years ago. Ralph’s good spirit, humor, and selflessness made him a perfect match for a part-time job he always enjoyed. He worked as a bartender for many years at the Sportsman’s Grill, Elks Club and the Italian Heritage Club. Ralph also served as the Exalted Ruler of the Elks Club of Portland.
Ralph enjoyed fishing, wood crafting, cooking and listening to Italian opera. He was proud of his Italian heritage and enjoyed having espresso at his patio bistro table with family and friends. For years he worked on a novel of suspense and love set on the Mediterranean coast of Italy: La Donna del Nostra Casa.
Family was most important to Ralph and he was very proud of his children and grandchildren. Surviving are his wife Anna “Mary” of Portland, a daughter, Rosemary Platt and fiancé Dick Leone of Standish; sons, Joseph Troiano and wife Denise of Fort Meyers, Florida and Ralph Troiano, Jr. and wife Tina Jameson of Missouri City, Texas; his grandchildren: Gina Platt of Bangor and Lisa Platt Foley and husband, Dan of Waterboro; and three great-grandchildren: Sean, Liam and Michela Foley.
Visiting hours were from 4-8 P.M. Wednesday, August 30th at Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. As a lifelong member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, retired veterans performed a ceremony for Ralph during the visitation. Prayers were recited at 8:15 AM Thursday August 31st, at the Chapel followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00 A.M. at St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Avenue, Portland. Burial followed at Calvary Cemetery South Portland. An American flag draped the coffin and a Navy honor guard presented it to Anna and played taps from nearby.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to: American Cancer Society, New England Division, One Main Street, Suite 300, Topsham, ME 04086, American Heart Association, Memorial & Tribute Processing Center, PO Box 3049, Syracuse, NY 13220-3049 or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1905.
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August 22, 1943 |
Rosemary's Wedding - 1968 |
50th Anniversary - 1993 |
63rd Anniversary - 2006 |