Aunt Angelina and eyeglasses

Aunt Angelina – stuck licence plate

Aunt Angelina – teeth ( Rosalie remembers)

(Recollections of Joe Ragucci – recorded 1/10/2005 by Joe Ragucci)
When I was growing up (teenager+) our Christmas eve tradition was that the entire Ragucci family went to Midnight Mass at St. Anthony’s in Port Reading and then walked down the street to Aunt Angelina and Uncle Leo’s house to celebrate.  Everyone was there and we ate and talked for hours.  The one “tradition” was that at 3am, the original “Christmas Carol” movie would come on TV and the kids would all sit around and watch it.  Bobby was amazing in that he had memorized all the lines in the movie.  So you heard the movie in stereo – from the TV and from Bob.  It was so much fun even though it was so late…..

Conversation with Terry C and Mary R (recorded by Joe Ragucci):

Delores and Angelina did everything together.  When Delores became sick her mother Angelina was devastated.  She couldn’t understand how this could happen. The signs of Delores’ illness began before Warren died.  She was a retired teacher and would often substitute in Edison schools.  She stopped substituting because she said that she couldn’t find her room.  She was confused about the simplest things.  Shortly after that Warren died suddenly and she went into a deep depression.   He would do everything for her and now he was gone. I (Joe) remember seeing Delores and Angelina at Sunday Mass.  For about 2 years Delores would cry constantly during the Mass.  She couldn’t stop her grief.  Eventually this led to hospitalization and eventually her early death.  Dolores past away on Angelina’s 90th birthday.  Once Delores died Angelina became angry at the world and deteriorated rapidly until her death.

Conversation with Terry C and Mary R (recorded by Joe Ragucci):

Uncle Leo loved Bob & Terry’s house in Watchung.  He would stop by unannounced since he had his own key.   Terry said he always had note cards in his pocket and would jot down things that needed to be done as he walked around. Then he’d come and fix things to keep busy. Many times he convinced Warren to come with him to do things. She remembers times when they started taking down wallpaper and painting, and trimming doors that were sticking. He just loved the house, but he would fix things there and let his own house go untouched.