Dominic Ragucci passed away at age  97 on Nov 21st, 2015. The following homily was given by his son Deacon Joe Ragucci at his funeral Mass:

• “Do not let your hearts be troubled, for in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”
• This Gospel reading from the John is one of my favorites because it speaks clearly that life does not end but continues with our God in heaven.
• Jesus tells us “I am going to prepare a place for you and I will come back to take you there myself”
• Dominic, my father, really believed this with all his heart.
• And because of this faith in these words of Jesus, he was anticipating life in heaven.
• In the later years of his life he would talk frequently about seeing again the love of his life, his wife and my mother Rose who died when I was 3 years old.
• But his life was not focused on death but on living the command of Jesus to “love one another” and to “serve each other”.
• Dominic’s own father died when he was 5 years old leaving a wife who could not speak English and 4 young children, the oldest just 6 years old.
• The family survived though the generosity of so many people.
• He knew what it meant to be very poor but they were proud and strong Italian Americans.
• Dominic had to drop out of school early and support his family though all kinds of jobs.
• But education was important to him and he never stopped learning new things.
• He was extremely proud that he put 3 sons through college.
• My Dad became a self-taught man able to tackle anything.
• He became a mechanic, a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician, a painter, a jack of all trades.
• He could upholster furniture, make curtains and cabinets, fix an engine, and cut peoples hair.
• And everything had to be done perfectly.
• And he taught many of those things to his sons, Rick, Mike and myself and to anyone else who wanted to learn.
• And if you didn’t do it his way, the only right way, he let you know about it.
• But more importantly, he lived his life as a servant, paying back in his own way the generosity shown to his family and his faith in Christ.
• If he walked into your home and saw something that needed to be fixed he took it upon himself to fix it never wanting or accepting anything in return.
• That’s just who he was.
• That’s what it means to live life as a disciple of Christ.
• He didn’t have to speak about Christ because he lived the life of a servant.
• When he was around you felt that God had been in your presence.
• He heard the call to duty and was proud to be a US Marine serving in the south Pacific during WWII.
• He said that he never expected to come back but God had other plans.
• The witness of his life calls each of us to develop the many talents that God has given us.
• You will never know how God wants to use you unless you are unafraid to step out in faith.
• There are so many things I thought I could never do but the witness of my Dad gave me the strength and courage to do what God calls me to do.
• His witness calls each of us to understand that life is not always easy but worth living to the fullest.
• His life was filled with trials and troubles but his faith made him strong and able to do what needed to be done.
• When cancer was eating up the life of my mother, he was the one who gave the family the strength to endure.
• When his 2^nd wife Marge was in the nursing home he came faithfully every day to tend to her needs.
• That’s his witness to us who remain.
• His life calls us to be servants to others, to give without expecting anything in return.
• We must ask ourselves – what am I giving of myself to others.
• What does God need me to be and to do?
• His witness calls each of us to be a faithful disciple of Christ.
• He believed with all his mind and heart in the words of Jesus.
• He will be missed as Dad, Pop, and Chief as me and my brothers Rick and Mike called him.
• He will be missed as brother, uncle, grandpa, great-grandpa and friend.
• He will always be loved and remembered because we know that we will see him again when our time comes to leave this world.
• I know right now he is overjoyed with being with Rose his wife, to be with Marge and his family who went before him, and to be reunited with all those he loved.

• I leave you with the words of Jesus:
• “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faithin God; have faith also in me.
• In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
• If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
• And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”
• Rest in peace and God bless you Dad.