Louis J. Rizzo, 90, of San Leandro, Calif., passed away on Saturday afternoon, October 25, 2014.
He was born in Sheridan, New York, on May 29, 1924 to Theresa and John Rizzo. He was one of nine children and grew up on a farm in Dunkirk, NY.
During his senior year in high school, he enrolled in the United States Army. He served in World War II as a medic on the front lines. He served 87 days in New Guinea and 219 days in Luzon in the Philippines in actual combat. He saved many lives and earned many medals: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with bronze oak leaf cluster, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 bronze service stars, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Medical Badge 1st Award, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, and Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII. He fought with the 6th Infantry Division which holds the unchallenged record for continuous combat in the Pacific.
In 1968, he married Grace Epolito from Fredonia, NY and moved to California to start a family. Son, Neil Rizzo, was born in 1969 and daughter, Patricia (Trish) Rizzo, was born in 1972.
Louis worked as a sheet metal worker for Aladdin in Oakland. He also took a Radio and TV Repair class in the 1960s and loved it. He started up his own T.V. repair business, which he did at night, after working days at Aladdin. In 1976, he retired from sheet metal and worked full time on TV repair. He was one of the first to rent color televisions in the Bay Area. He prided himself on repairing TV's and became friends to his customers. He loved to take son, Neil Rizzo, with him on calls. He was well loved amongst his customers and was known as "TV Lou".
Lou was an active member in his community and church. He attended St. Felicitas every Sunday with his family for many years, where he served as an Usher at the 10:30 morning Mass. Even after his late wife, Grace Rizzo, passed away (December 17, 2004) and his children married and moved out of the house, he continued to walk to and attend church on his own well into his late eighties.
He loved gardening and growing tomatoes in which he made homemade sauce, which reminded him of when he was a boy on the farm in New York. He also loved spending time with his children and grandchildren: Jason Gutierrez, Megan Gutierrez, Gianna Rizzo, and Ava Rizzo. He was known as Papa.
He is survived by his two remaining sisters, Josie Ratkiewicz of Scottsdale, Arizona and Nancy Sagona of Painted Post, New York, his two children and four grandchildren of Pleasanton, Calif., and many nieces and nephews.
By the Observer
