Raffaele (Ralph) De Palma
elevated XOiv1 God called Ralph peacefully on January 13, 2021 at the age of 80. Born in Bitritto, Bari, Italy to the late Giuseppe and Antonia De Palma. Beloved husband of Nicoletta for over 54 years. Cherished father of Joseph (Kristy) and Nicholas. Adored grandpa of Lucas and Kayla. Much loved brother to Luigi (Cosima) and the late Pasquale (Angela).
elevated XOiv1 Ralph was such a kind and generous person, who was happiest when surrounded by family and friends. He loved to laugh and bring a smile to others. A gentle soul who touched everyone that had the pleasure to know him. He was respected by all and will be sadly missed. While we can never replace the emptiness in our hearts, we will take comfort in all of our cherished memories.
elevated XOiv1 Due to COVID-19, a private funeral service will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home and entombment at Forest Lawn Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made to St. Justin Martyr Parish, Unionville or the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family.
elevated XOiv1 For those who wish to view this service, please click the link below. Online viewers, please be advised that the link will only go live 10 minutes prior to the service time. The private funeral service will be on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
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To the De Palma family,our Sincere condolences to all,Ralph was a great guy and will be missed,may he rest in peace. He is in our hearts and prayers. GOD BLESS The Nittis Frank n Lisa
Sincere condolences to Ralph’s family, he was a great guy one that made you feel appreciated and at ease and filled his surroundings with laughter and happiness.
You’ll be missed
Rest in piece
Vince and family
Our sincere condolences to the whole family. May he rest in peace and may God strengthen you all on these days ahead. God bless.🙏
I lost my mentor, my hero, my biggest cheerleader, my friend…my dad. He taught me the most important lessons in life, family is most important, be happy, give your all, when you do something do it right, work hard, be kind and so much more. He was always there for us and would do anything for those he loved. His smile was infectious and he was most happy surrounded by family & friends. Life will never be the same without you Dad. Watch over Lucas & Kayla and help guide them throughout their lives. Love you forever, xoxo
Raffaele DePalma, a man I had the privilege of calling my second Dad, my father in law. A man who loved his family deeply and adored his grandchildren Lucas & Kayla, relished in the company of his friends, gave generously his time, resources and experiences.
A genuine person; strong, proud, honest, and kind, who blessed our lives with years of wonderful memories.
Despite having heart issues for half of his life, he had the biggest heart of all. Everything he did came from a place of love and care. Rest In Peace Dad, I will miss you.
I am heartbroken at the loss of my dad. He was such a kind and generous person who was happiest when surrounded by family and friends. He loved to laugh and bring a smile to others, even joking with random strangers at the grocery store or anywhere else. He was so proud of his family and would do anything for us. My nephew and niece, Lucas and Kayla, were his pride and joy. Ultimately, all he wanted was for us to be happy. He lived a very good life, a full 80 years and 4 months and he cherished every year, every milestone, after suffering a serious heart attack 46 years ago. I am so grateful he was able to live his normal life until the end, but I wasn’t prepared or ready to let him go. What a privilege it’s been to have such a wonderful father. I miss you so much. Love you forever.
Ralph was a stronger than life individual. I do believe he even made a pact with God 45 years ago that he needed to be around to watch his sons grow up and to meet Lucas and Kayla. He must have made a very good case because he has enjoyed the best of times with his sons and grandchildren. It was always his wish that he would be around long enough for Lucas and Kayla to remember him and remember him they will. He was a loyal and loving husband, a great friend, a thoughtful neighbour and the most loving father and grandfather. You did your job well . You have earned your rest good and faithful servant, although I do know that you are most probably up there telling us what do and how to do it. We are a little confused and lost right now but in time….lots of time…. we will be fine, and I promise, this time I will listen. I moved your pillow from your chair last night and the back rest so we could all sit around the table, and instantly Kayla saw something missing. Where is grandpa’s pillow? Don’t touch grandpa’s chair? You will be missed but your strong sense of right and your happy, loving and most forgiving personality is in every corner of this house, especially the kitchen. Love forever
Today I lost the strongest, kindest, most generous, friendly, caring, loving and courageous man I’ve ever known… my grandpa. Thank you for all the countless things you have done for my brother Lucas, and I. Your smile always brightened up the room and there was never a dull moment with you. All the numerous happy, fun and exciting memories will be with all of us for eternity. Your Italian accent, made some English words more challenging but it made us all laugh continuously, even you. You will forever be in my heart, life will never be the same without u grandpa. I will always be your princess. Love you forever and always. RIP, Xoxo❤️😘
Our sincere condolences to Ralph’s wife Nicoletta and to the whole family, it was a shock to learn of Ralph passing I and Ralph go back a long way in time, we will miss Ralph’s cordial smile and his well presented jokes , RIP Ralph may You rest and guard over your family for ever. from Luigi & Maria D’Alessandro & family.
To Nicki, Nick, Joe and family. Our deepest sympathy goes out to you all. We will never forget all the great times we shared with Ralph throughout the years. He was a great guy and he will be remembered forever in our hearts. Rest in peace Ralph.
Vito, Nancy, Nick, and Steven
We were very saddened to hear of Ralph’s sudden passing. Ralph was always a good and considerate friend. He took great enjoyment in life and always had a smile on his face and a joke to share. The fatherly advice, the lunches and the political discussions will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest condolences to the De Palma family.
Our sincere condolences Nicki, and
to your family so very sad words cannot express enough for
Ralph will be greatly missed how fortunate
to have known him
May he rest in peace
To all the DePalma family our deepest condolences in the passing of a great man, Ralph. He held a special place in all our hearts, he was a man of substance and brought joy to all around him. We will miss his smiles and jokes that he shared with us at every opportunity. Rest in peace Ralph.
‘How’sa look?’ That was usually the start of our conversations (an inside joke that started many, many years ago) and it’s hard to believe that they are not going to be part of the routine. Ralph was a guy who had great love for his family, he loved a good joke and he loved a party, whether it was one in honour of someone else he cared about or, better yet, in his honour. And we can’t forget his skill at poker! I’m sure he’s got a game going already, all the time still watching over his family which, at the end of it all, was what he was always about. Rest in eternal peace, Ralph.🙏
Uncle Ralph,
you leave me with great memories growing up, you were a person that was always smiling and interested on how you were making out in life. It’s obvious nirvana for you is being surrounded by family. I’m sure God has the gates open ready for your arrival!
Aunt Nik, Joe, Nick, Kristy and the kids,
Our deepest condolences,
Vito, Maddalena, Madeline and Matthew
De Palma Family,
We were very saddened to hear about Ralph’s sudden passing.
His always quick wit and infectious smile will be fondly remembered.
Joe and Nick … I trust that you will take comfort in knowing how proud he always was of his boys.
Rest in peace Ralph,
Mike, Annette, Sonia and Michael Stramaglia
To Nicki, Joe, Kristy, Nick, Lucas & Kayla
We were shocked and so saddened to hear that Ralph passed away. It was just in the last week and a half that we last spoke for about an hour. It was as if time stood still after hearing this news.
Tom and I remember all the great memories that we have of Ralph and all your family over the last 40 years of friendship. From the time we first became neighbours on Mason to being life long friends to this day. We had wonderful times together at our family gatherings and shared our special wedding days for our children together.
Ralph was a great friend, a great mentor and an overall great human being. He had such an amazing personality, always a kind word and a joke or two to help lift our spirits and make us laugh. He always showed that he cared. We will never forget how you both supported Tom through his 2 heart surgeries and me through my 2 cancer journeys.
To Joe, Kristy, Nick, Lucas & Kayla, your father & grandfather always spoke of you with such pride & joy. He lit up when he talked of you all. You were his life and gave him the will to live.
Nicki wishing you and your family strength, courage and love. Please accept our deepest condolences during this difficult time. We will always be there for you all.
We pray that God will be with you each and every day to guide and comfort you. Now we all have another angel looking down on us. His smile will brighten our days ahead. May Ralph Rest In Peace and May his memory be eternal.
Blessings 🙏 to you all.
Love Tom and Ann Englezakos & family❤️
Our deepest condolences on the loss of your husband, father and grandfather. May Ralph rest in peace.
Nicki and Family,
I was shocked and saddened to hear about Ralf’s sudden passing.
My deepest sympathy goes out to you all during this difficult time.
Ralf will always be remembered for his quick wit and infectious smile.
He was a great guy and he will be remembered forever.
Rest in peace Ralph.
Love Kathy ‘young lady’
Dear Nicki, Nick, Joe and family,
Sending you my deepest sympathy for the loss of this beautiful and gentle soul. We are all so lucky to share so many memories of him. May the memories of his love, kindness and warmth help you get through this most difficult time.
I just know he is sharing a laugh with his brother and his cousins.
I will always remember him as a kind and genuine soul who always made everyone feel so special.
Sending you all love and hugs. RIP Ralph.
Dear Nicki, Nick, Joe and family
Sending you all my love and deepest sympathy.
I’ll forever remember Ralph for his kindness and generosity of spirit. I loved his jokes…even the bad ones. We always had fun conversations, especially at the family picnics. He’d tell stories about the family which he held so dear.
And then, he’d flash you that smile.
Rest in peace Ralph.
We’ll carry you in our hearts from now on.
Dear Zia, Nick, Joe, Kristy, Kayla, Lucas and Dad. We were so saddened to hear of Zio’s sudden passing. We will miss seeing him suddenly showing up in the backyard when he wanted to pop by for a visit. Or the smile on his face when he played with his grandkids and his grand nieces. He would always tell them to give him a “forte forte” high five which inevitable always “hurt his hand.” We know he will continue to watch over his family. May you all find peace and comfort in each other during this time. My sincere condolences to the family. We loved him very much. Rest in peace Uncle Ralph. You will be remembered fondly.
My condolences to Nicki and family. May Ralph rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon him. May you find comfort in Jesus and be surrounded by kindness. With love and prayers, Sharon Chin (prayer group)
To Nicki, Nick, Joe and family
Sending our deepest condolences to your family for your loss. We are so saddened to hear of his passing. Every single time I spoke with Ralph, there was always a smile on his face that was so infectious. My children always referred to him as a Teddy Bear
Rest in Peace Ralph
Dear Nicky,
John and I are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of your dear husband, Ralph. We received the news with profound shock and sadness and offer you our heartfelt condolences. We pray that Ralph will rest peacefully in the arms of Jesus, enjoying the eternal bliss of heaven, and for you and your family, the courage and strength to bear this great loss.
Dear sister Nicki and family, it really is tough to say goodbye to someone as joyful and lovable as Brother Ralph. Meeting him for the first time was like meeting an old friend again..he was always so welcoming, whether at your house for prayer, at church or in the supermarket.
I leave you with this favourite prayer of mine, which must have been his daily prayer, written by Cardinal Newman. It was a favourite of Mother Teresa, too:
“Dear Jesus,
Help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being, so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me,
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up, and see no longer me,
but only Jesus!
Stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine
as You shine; so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You,
none of it will be mine;
It will be You, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by example,
By the catching force, the sympathetic influence
of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You.
Amen.”
“Eternal rest grant unto Brother Ralph, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine on him; may he rest in peace. Amen”
Dear Nick, and De Palma Family,
My deepest condolences for the loss of your father.
Clearly he was a man very dear to you and someone who helped shape a very fine son.
May he rest in peace.
My Dear Couzins,my wife and i were very moved abserving the ceremony of Ralph I still cannot believe that he is gone,another sad day.
Dear Nicki,
Our sincerest condolences to you and your family. We will miss his ever joyful presence whenever he is around. He has a very pleasing personality and is very easy to get along with. We shall surely miss him especially at our Christmas get together. I am glad to have seen you guys before Christmas last year before he passed away.
May God grant him eternal rest in His heavenly kingdom.
“.R.I.P. our good friend Ralph.”
God Bless,
Victor and Sally
[de Jesus]
We will always cherish the fond memories we have of Uncle Ralph. He was a kind and thoughtful person who enjoyed spending time with family and friends. It was always a pleasure talking with him at family events, he would always come over to us with a huge smile to ask us about hockey and school. Often asking “so when will I see you on the Maple Leafs”. He was truly a special man who brought that same excitement and exuberance to every conversation he entered, always leaving you feeling better than you were before.
We will miss Uncle Ralph dearly and would like to extend our condolences to Aunt Nicki, Nick, Joe, Kristy, Kayla and Lucas. May his light shine within you, and guide you through this next phase of life.
Nicki…I am one of the many lives that Ralph touched during his life. My condolences to you and your family.
Depalma family you are in our thoughts and prayers. Ralph was a true friend for many many years and a work colleague for almost 30 years. He was the most kind and generous friend. His yearly reminders of our shared milestones will be deeply missed as well as the reminiscing of years gone by. RIP my friend.
Andy
Dear De Palma family,
We would like to convey our deepest condolences to all of you.
I grew up always looking forward to talking with Falluche every time I saw him and his beautiful big smile. What a kind, loving man!
We will miss him so much at the family gatherings. It was so nice to talk to all of you since we have not had the opportunity to see you last year. That is one of the saddest parts, that we missed a whole year not seeing him because of Covid … May God bless him and your family.
Uncle Ralph was a wonderful uncle. He was always very kind and had a generous spirit and undoubtedly, was a very important part of our lives. We always enjoyed his company, loved hearing about his life experiences, stories about back home in Italy, and most of all I respected the way he lived his life and set a good example for all of us.
I’m going to miss his spontaneous visits at home to see my dad, and his cheesy sense of humor and quick wit, which, regardless of any situation we were in, would always make us smile and warmed our hearts. He will always hold a special place in my heart.
Aunt Nicki, Dad, Nick, Joe, Kristy, Kayla and Lucas, I pray that God will give you courage and strength during this difficult time. Please know that we will always be there for you.
May he rest in eternal peace.
With love,
Tina, Frank & Antonia