Obituary of John Kenneth Ricci Sr.
John Kenneth Ricci, Sr. age 81 of Bridgeport, beloved husband of Debra Rizzitelli passed away on Saturday, February 8, 2025. Born in Bridgeport on September 20, 1943, he was the son of the late Armand Ricci and Antoinette (Graziano) Ricci. A Bridgeport resident for most of his life, John attended Central High School graduating in 1961. John furthered his education by attending the Bridgeport Engineering Institute and was the first graduate to serve on its Advisory Board.
Upon graduation, John joined the Army National Guard where he proudly served from 1964-1970 with the rank of Corporal.
John began working for the City of Bridgeport as a Traffic Engineer in 1973, spent 23 years as the Sikorsky Airport Manager and held various management positions within the City before retiring in 2013. Upon retirement, John was called back to serve in the capacity of Director of Public Facilities from 2016 to 2020. As a public servant,
John was passionate about the City in which he was born and lived. A life well lived, John enjoyed investing in real estate, carpentry, politics, lunch with the guys and most important, spending time with his family. He was also a member of Port 5 in Bridgeport. A genuinely compassionate human being, John went above and beyond to help anyone and everyone in need. Although facing a number of health challenges over the years, John was fearless, never complained and faced each one of those challenges with grit and determination to overcome what he considered to be a minor inconvenience. Those that knew John could attest to his loyalty as a friend and confidant. He will certainly be missed by all who had the opportunity to know and love him.
In addition to his wife Debbie, John is survived by his children, John Ricci Jr. of Guilford, Attorney Lisa Knopf, and her husband Fred of Stratford, and Jessica Farrone and her husband Dan of Florida, grandchildren, Alexandra Forauer (Ethan), Joshua Knopf M.D. (Molly), Abigail Knopf, Joseph and Melissa Ricci and Cali Farrone. He is also survived by his cousin Frank Luperella, sister in laws, brother in laws, nieces, nephews, his longtime friend Manny Moutinho and a number of close friends with whom he enjoyed spending time with. John was pre-deceased by his loving aunt Marie Luperella and Uncle Peter Graziano.
John lived his life to the fullest and above all treasured time spent with family.
Honoring John's wishes, there will be no services.
Donations in John's honor can be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital,www.stjude.org, an organization close to his heart. Arrangements in care of Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. To offer online condolences please visit www.abriola.com