Ralph Guagliano, age 92, of Pawling passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at home surrounded by his family. Ralph was born in Manhattan NY on March 22,1930 and was the son of the late Joseph Guagliano and Lena (Arnone) Guagliano residing at 1787 First Avenue Manhattan, NY.
Ralph graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School in 1948 and was awarded the Spanish medal for highest honors in his senior class.
Ralph attended Fordham University for two years in the Pre-Med program.
Ralph married Nancy Lee Benedetto on July 2, 1960 and resided in Yonkers NY where they raised their four children: Joseph, Mary, Linda and Steven. They were married for over 61 years.
Ralph began working as a NYC taxi cab driver in 1958 and purchased a NYC taxi medallion in 1960. Ralph continued working until his retirement in 1998. In 2000 Ralph and Nancy moved to Pawling NY so they could be closer to their children and grandchildren.
He was a communicant at Saint Ann parish in Yonkers NY and Saint John the Evangelist in Pawling NY.
Ralph enjoyed family vacations in Cape Cod and Lake George. Ralph passionately loved spending time with his family playing cards, watching Yankee games, enjoying Nancy’s Italian cooking, cheese cakes and Italian pastries.
He loved sharing stories about his time as a NYC cab driver and all the interesting people he met through the years which included many celebrities such as the legendary baseball player Ted Williams, Muhammad Ali, Mel Brooks and Tom Brokaw to name a few.
In his final days, Ralph was cared for by his loving wife and family. The Guagliano family would like to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Hudson Valley Hospice. The compassion, love and support they provided Ralph, Nancy and family over the last weeks was incredible. A special thank you to Catherine and Joel whose assistance, compassion and love was a godsend to the family in Ralph’s final days.
Ralph was an extraordinary man, husband, father, grandfather and friend. He and Nancy dedicated their lives to raising their children. They put aside their needs in order to give their children the best care, a catholic education and many happy and memorable family experiences. Through their words and actions, they taught their children to dream big and never give up on achieving those dreams, to respect others, stand tall, pick yourself up from failures, move past obstacles and live life to the fullest. Ralph instilled his loving and compassionate personality in his children and brightened the lives of those who knew him.
His spirit has now been freed from his body and he has moved on to the next phase of his life in Heaven. He is reunited with his mom, dad, family and friends that he loved so dearly throughout his life, that passed before him.
In addition to his parents, Ralph was predeceased by his four siblings Vincent Sabella, Michael Sabella, Margert Ludovico, and Rosemary Jacobs. He is survived by his wife Nancy Lee (Benedetto) Guagliano, his children: Joseph Guagliano of Pawling NY, Mary Priest (John) of Danbury Ct, Linda Pucci (Tom Dunn) of Pleasant Valley NY, Steven Guagliano (Amy) of Newtown Ct.; his Grandchildren: Albert (Christine), Jonathan (Cristina), Lauren (Anthony), Juliana, Olivia, Abigail, Luke, Joseph Paul, Briana, Mya, Karlie, and several many beloved nieces and nephews.
Family and friends may pay their respects on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, from 3-7 PM at the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling, NY 12564. A Christian Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 11 AM at St John the Evangelist 39 East Main Street Pawling, NY 12564 followed by burial in Pawling Cemetery 1249 New York Rt. 22, Pawling NY 12564.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
The Hudson Valley Hospice https://www.hvhospice.org
Ralph’s Obituary can be found on the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home website: https://www.hornandthomesfuneralhome.com/
