Peter Ruvolo

Obituary of Peter L. Ruvolo

Peter L. Ruvolo December 6, 1935 – June 18, 2020 Peter died peacefully on June 18, 2020. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Patricia; his children, Ann (Anthony), Catherine (John), and Peter (Danielle); his sister Caterina; and his beloved grandchildren, Catherine, Patrice, Christopher, and Joseph. He was a very loving husband, son, brother, uncle, father, and grandfather, and his family will greatly miss him. Peter was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1935 to Pasquale and Concetta Ruvolo. His warm and loving family included two other sisters, Liboria and Josephine, in addition to Caterina. It was in Bushwick that Peter started his life of service as an altar boy at St. Joseph's parish. After graduating from St. John's Prep, he earned his Bachelor's degree at St. John's University and subsequently his MBA from Hofstra University. During his senior year at St. John's University, he met the love of his life, Patricia. After a courtship that spanned five years and included many formal dances, they were married and eventually settled in Northport. Service was an important aspect of Peter's life. Over the years, he served as CCD coordinator, Pre-Cana instructor, Eucharistic minster, member of the St. Philip Neri parish council, and a 4th degree Knight of Columbus. For many years, Peter and Patt were members of the St. Philip Neri "Community," a group joyfully responding to the Second Vatican Council's call to build parish community and revitalize the life of the faithful. As part of his call to service, Peter joined the United States Marine Corps. From basic training at Parris Island to advanced training at Camp Lejeune, Peter was a Marine through and through and excelled at the skill required of all Marines: marksmanship. He was particularly proud to have qualified as Expert and was acknowledged as the best shot in his class. While serving in the Marine Corps Reserves, Peter followed another of his passions, aviation, and quickly "landed" at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, where he combined his love of flight, leadership, and organization, as a project manager on platforms ranging from the A-6 Intruder, E-2 Hawkeye, and F-14 Tomcat, to the Lunar Module. Through the Grumman flying club, Peter and Patricia earned their private pilot licenses and delighted their friends and family with the joy of flight. His children were particularly delighted to be treated to family car trips…in an airplane. After many years at Grumman, Peter served the citizens of New York City through several roles at the City's Human Resources Administration. In each of his work roles, Peter emphasized the development of other people. He nurtured his subordinates to advance to ever greater responsibilities and, in turn, to become mentors to others. He created a culture of growth, learning, and respectful accountability that was the hallmark of a caring and effective leader. One of the associations Peter valued most was his connection with the Sisters of St. Joseph. He was a CSJ Associate for 30 years, walking with the Sisters as a lay member of the community, finding in the Sisters and Associates a source of spiritual sustenance and a wellspring of inspiration. He contributed to the Community's efforts as one of the first Associates and as a member of the Associate Board. Peter was a kind, loving person with a sharp mind and a poet's soul. His family treasures memories of his laughter, wise advice, deep faith, and wonderful example of what a caring, faith-filled parent, friend, and spouse should be. We rejoice that he is with the God he has so faithfully loved. If you feel moved to contribute something, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mission Advancement Office, 1725 Brentwood Road, Building 4, Brentwood, NY 11717, to honor Peter's memory. A wonderful man, a wonder-filled life.
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