Obituary of Ralph Andrew Vecchio

DUE TO THE IMPENDING ICE STORM VISITATION WILL BE ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM AND THE FUNERAL MASS WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 AT 10:30  AM AT SACRED HEART CHURCH IN DOVER.

Ralph Andrew Vecchio of Dover, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, February 6, 2021, after a long illness.  All in his extended family grieve the tremendous loss of this warm, loyal, vivacious husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and cousin, our great patriarch.  Family was his primary focus throughout his life.  He loved, adored and was proud of them.  He kept track of all that was happening in the family, encouraging, mentoring, advising and comforting all. Ralph grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey and graduated from A. J. Demarest High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Upsala College, in East Orange, New Jersey.  In 1954, Ralph married his high school sweetheart, Louise Stelljes.  He and his bride moved to Dover, New Jersey where Ralph started a long career with Picatinny Arsenal, which later became ARDEC, where he was the Deputy Director of Technical Support and later became the Associate Technical Director for Testing and Evaluation.  Of his many professional accomplishments, he was most fond of his work developing the Ballistic Ball Game, a means for capturing and evaluating live missiles, which was featured in Time Magazine, and the Human Footstep Force Signature, which measured the forces exerted on and by the human foot while walking.  Following his 33-year career at Picatinny, he became an independent consultant.

With his beloved wife of 66 years, Louise, by his side, they loved cooking, hosting family gatherings, dining out, getting together with friends, dancing, traveling and theater.  Ralph designed their home in Dover, where they raised their children and lived for 55 years.  At their home in East Dorset, Vermont, he enjoyed skiing and outdoor activities with his family.  Ralph greeted all who met him with his warm smile.  He was a kind, generous, hard-working man, who loved being surrounded by those close to him, and enjoyed playing golf and tennis with his friends.  He and Louise traveled with family and friends to many areas of the world. A devoted and avid fan, Ralph attended any and all of his grandchildren’s activities and sporting events.  He was passionate about his work with the American Defense Preparedness Association Scholarship committee.  In the community, a loyal baseball fan, Ralph spent over 20 years manually developing practice and game schedules for the Dover Little League.  An avid problem-solver, with a passion for math and its applications, he tutored many students in physics and math.

Ralph was the son of the late Alphonse and Lena (Mongiello) Vecchio of Hoboken, New Jersey.  He was predeceased by his siblings Peter Vecchio of Hoboken, New Jersey, Phyllis Apicella of Hoboken, New Jersey, and Ella Pechillo of Jacksonville, Florida.  Ralph was the beloved father of four children, the late Nancy Louise Vecchio, the late Paul John Vecchio, Karen Vecchio Simons of Reston, Virginia, and Ralph Alan Vecchio (and his wife, Susan) of Hillsborough, New Jersey.  He is survived by his devoted grandchildren, the apples of his eye, Sam Simons (and his wife, Whitney), Jack Simons, Lauren Simons, Jayne Vecchio and Paul Vecchio.

The family will receive visitors at Tuttle Funeral Home, 272 NJ Route 10, Randolph, New Jersey on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm.

A mass will be held on  Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 10:30 am at Sacred Heart Church in Dover, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Parkinson Research Foundation.

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