CATANESE, RALPH

Ralph Catanese, 82, of Wildwood Crest (formerly of Warrington, PA and Estero, FL) passed away peacefully at home on December 1, 2021. He will be dearly missed.Ralph was born to Mario and Elizabeth Catanese in South Philadelphia in 1939. His early years were spent at Southern High School, working at the family bakery on Sixth Street, and summering in Wildwood, NJ. A blind date with a girl named Marie at the sophomore hop led to Ralph and Marie’s marriage in 1961. He was a hard worker, but waking up daily at 4:00 a.m. to bake bread was not in Ralph’s future, so he studied diligently and excelled academically. Ralph graduated from Villanova University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in statistics. He subsequently completed a long and fulfilling career for the Department of Defense (U.S. Navy) specializing in aerostructures, where he enjoyed international travel, aircraft carrier deployments, and taking on primary responsibility for structural upgrades to the Blue Angels’ A-4 Skyhawks.Forever a Wildcat, Ralph served as an adjunct professor of graduate statistics at Villanova for thirty years and remained a die-hard VU basketball fan from the time he attended games at the Palestra during his college years to the final VU game before he passed.Ralph and Marie purchased their Wildwood Crest home in 1968. Flounder trembled at the news. When it came to hooking them, he had “the touch” well into his eighth decade. In the Wildwoods, he placed his children in the perfect environment to teach them the value of hard work. Having worked from a young age in his own family business, he started each of his children on their newspaper routes and was always there to help with the morning deliveries.Ralph was proud to be ordained as a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1986, serving at St. Robert Bellarmine in Warrington, PA, the Church of the Assumption in Wildwood Crest, NJ, St. John the Evangelist in Naples, FL, Our Lady of Light in Estero, FL and Our Lady of the Angels in Cape May Court House, NJ. He reveled in the opportunity to serve others, and especially enjoyed guiding parishioners through the sacraments and greeting children with his special handshake as they entered weekly mass. Following his retirement, he was an active volunteer with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 82 in Cape May, where he served in many roles including coxswain and chaplain.Ralph’s commendations and awards are innumerable, but his greatest legacy is his family. Ralph and Marie created generations that love, respect, and genuinely enjoy one another. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marie, his five children, Gina (Gerard) Gormley, Mario (Anne) Catanese, Ralph (Amy) Catanese, Elizabeth Terenik, and Andrew (Tara) Catanese, and his 14 grandchildren. He is predeceased by his brother Michael and is survived by his sister Betty Elkins and brother George Catanese. Ralph’s love for his family was unconditional. It was that love and his desire to be with his family drove him during his final fighting year.Our family offers its eternal thanks to the many friends and caretakers that committed themselves to Ralph and his family during his illness. No words can express our gratitude. He is now at peace.A mass of Christian burial celebrating Ralph’s life is planned for Monday, December 6, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish, 252 50th Street, Avalon, NJ 08202. Friends may come to call from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, Ralph’s family asks that donations be made to The Coast Guard Foundation (coastguardfoundation.org).