LeRoy Joseph Rampoldi-A Remembrance

My memories of my Father-in-Law written by Joan Annette Coley Faria. I am a contributor to this blog and I am his only Grandsons Mother. LeRoy lived from 16 March 1933 - 22 August 2016 LeRoy had a Great sense of Humor and was always Smiling. He was Kind and Generous… And was Very Handsome….. He was My Hero…..    This is a story of some of my Memories of My Father-in Law   ~~~~~~~~~~ LeRoy Joseph Rampoldi  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  That I thought the world of….Thank you God for Sharing him with Joey, my son and his Grandson, and I for all these years…… I really don’t know what I would have done without him, he was always … If I had a Question ?…   Really just anything.. Car trouble …Changing the oil in my Car, my dryer was broke ….…. Leroy could fix it, LeRoy could fix anything .. and I mean anything…. Thank You LeRoy again…   LeRoy had a Horse and rode it to school when he was young. I wonder what the Horses name was….?  LeRoy was always working…. Always Busy…… Things that LeRoy Liked:           Birds… Trees … Walnut, Chestnut, Persimmon, Apricot, Rose of Sharon, Crape Myrtle Trees Flowers…Roses, Purple Potato Vine, Geraniums, Bougainvillea’s, succulents,  Gardening.. Tomatoes, Squash, Luffa Sponges, Starting new Plants… Canning.. Peaches, anything I loved canning with LeRoy…. Olives .. Watching him Cure Green Olives … in big tubs in the front yard they were so good…….
Drying Fruit… The Best Moist Peaches … He taught me how to dry fruit with sulfur…. Farmed… Grapes…. He made me lots of grape vine wreaths one year. I decorated them and used them for Christmas presents….. Drying the Thompson seedless grapes from under the Arbor to make Raisins on drying trays….  Health books and vitamins, loved to read all the information.. Did not like taking medicine from doctors, he said they were trying to kill us….. Loved working in his shop..  It was a gold mine for parts….. When the boys were little they had bought them metal cars they could ride in, a Cadillac not sure what the other one was but when they got old and rusty, and they buried them, and then after some years had gone by they found out what they would be worth if they still had them and from then on nothing was thrown away, it is still in the shop, every table and chair, every lamp, everything. Nothing was thrown away….  Really….. Remember the Cadillac Story……. LeRoy liked to go to yard sales… Vespa’s and Vacuums…. LeRoy loved jokes and sayings…… When LeRoy and Carol were married 25 years, I decided that I would give them a surprise party. I had only been in the family for a short time, so, I made a list, called all of their friends, and cooked Italian chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and cake … I had help from friends and we surprised them. What no one told me was that Carol hated surprises. She was so mad, She got over it but still to this day reminds me no surprises   O.K.  But it was a FUN Party……… LeRoy and Carol were married for 60 Years… No party…. They were both Republicans… They loved to watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" on
T.V.  and they were just like them… So funny to be their living room when they were watching it …Lots of yelling.  LeRoy loved his Job at SSJID South San Joaquin Irrigation District… He was given the nickname of “ The Water God “….. He really enjoyed all of the men he worked with and all the visiting….. I was so happy to see so many of them at LeRoy’s Memorial service….. LeRoy did not want a funeral … But I know he would have been happy with what the boys decided to do for him…. LeRoy and I took a stain glass class together after Steve passed away it was at the Old Vinery that had been turned into a mall, in Escalon, CA.  It has now been torn down, I always liked spending time with LeRoy… We spent lots of Holidays together……  My Favorite was a walk thru the garden with LeRoy, you have never seen so many plants……   Everybody needs a LeRoy…….. in their LIFE……. Steve, my husband his son, Joey his Grandson, and I all know how blessed we are….. That we had you….  Gift from LeRoy to Joan ……    Silver Grape Necklace……Thank You Thank You for all the things you built for Steve around the ranch, all the ramps so he had complete freedom to go anywhere he wanted to go. I know how hard his accident was for both you and Carol… LeRoy would say to me Joan have you ever had stale doughnuts torn up in a bowl with milk on them for breakfast, and I would say NO. And he would say what kind of Italian are you that you have never had that….. He said when he was young they used to have it all the time. I loved all the old story’s…… I love being Italian and so did LeRoy……   LeRoy 100%  Joan 30% Steve 50% Joe ?
Steve Loved MORE. I had never heard of it and then one day I found a recipe from my Nona For MORE. I will have to include it with this letter.. Kinda like Spaghetti with lots of cheese and corn in it and it is called MORE because you always want MORE……..Because it’s so Good……. Steve Told Me That…… It has been 36 years since Steve passed away and I will always miss him…… What a great personality I loved being around him….. I wish my Son would have known him……. So Glad Joey had LeRoy for all these years. Well let’s get to my favorite part of the Story…  When my Son Joseph Steven Coley Rampoldi  was born, at that time he had 13 Grandparents and Great Grand Parents total that were alive.  In the beginning Joey’s Favorite was his Grandma Carol Rampoldi and then one day he made it out to the shop and from that day on Grandpa Leroy Rampoldi was his favorite…….. I cannot begin to tell you how much LeRoy means to Joe He thinks the world of him……. So glad Joe had him for a role model ….. So, when Joey was little, I was a single Mom, I wanted to be strict about how he ate, no Candy etc.. No junk.. you know I was giving him carrot juice etc… But when he would go to Grandpa & Grandma Rampoldi's home it was coffee with lots of milk and sugar…   and they would give him a little cup with some chocolate chips in it…  LeRoy would let Joey go out and shoot his BB Gun… Rule was… put it away before your Mom gets here.. I never knew for years….
I love the nicknames LeRoy had for Joey.. He would call him Facha Bruta Italian for making your face ugly.. So Joey would make a Funny Face…… and that’s the only Nickname I will share….. So, in closing I want to thank LeRoy for giving my son an old truck that Joey and his friends hung out in the shop and worked on all thru High School….  Joey spent all of his money on this truck and it kept him and his friends out of trouble….. ….. Also thank you for everything that you taught my Son…… .Joseph Steven Rampoldi lots of Love from your Daughter-in-law Joan Annette Coley Faria.