Ralph Angelo Doronzo

Ralph Doronzo, 91, of Highlands Ranch, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2014 He was preceded in death by his sons, Paul & John Doronzo; a brother, Frank Doronzo & sister, Sophie Allison. He is survived by Luella, his beloved wife of 71 years and daughter LuAnn Doronzo Eakins. Ralph was born in Denver, Colorado September 9, 1922 to Fred and Anna (Acierno) Doronzo. He grew up in North Denver and graduated from Denver West High School. He was very proud of his Italian heritage and developed of love of Colorado and being a native. During his high school years he asked a neighbor girl to introduce him to one of her friends that he thought was cute. She went to East High School. That ""cute girl"" was Luella. Shortly after graduation, the summer after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ralph enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He went to Basic Training in Providence, Rhode Island. After completing Basic, he went to New York City on leave and met his fiancée, Luella. She had taken the train from Denver to meet him. They were married December 7, 1942 in St. Patrick's Cathedral. He was deployed to the South Pacific traveling through the Panama Canal. He was part of the 40th Naval Construction Battalion, known as The Seabees, as an electrician. Because he was an electrician, the battalion dentist asked Ralph to fix one of the dental drills. As a result of his work, the dentist asked him to be his dental technician. During his time in the South Pacific, Ralph contracted malaria seven times. After the last round of malaria he was sent to recuperate in Maine. At that time, the 40th Seabees were sent to fight in the battle of Iwo Jima. After returning to Denver in the early years of their marriage, Ralph and Luella enjoyed many nights dancing to the big band music at Elitch Gardens' Trocadero Ballroom, a favorite of Denver natives. They also enjoyed square dancing. The young couple started their family with the birth of their daughter, LuAnn, followed closely by the birth of son, Paul and then John, 12 years later. They eventually established their home in southwest Denver, a home they lived in for 53 years before moving to Windcrest Retirement Community. Ralph and Luella were establishing members of Notre Dame Catholic Church. He was the first president of the Holy Name Society. He served as an usher and also headed up many fundraising activities, guiding the growth of the parish. Many family vacations and weekends were spent traveling throughout Colorado camping, hunting and fishing. Ralph was very proud of being a Colorado native and he loved all the activities his could do with his family. In the early 60s, Ralph rekindled his love of horses. He bought his first horse and soon there were several more. He began raising Appaloosas. While working at Martin Marietta near Waterton Canyon, he started a saddle club. He organized gymkhanas and trail rides, often spending several nights packing in and camping. LuAnn and Paul became involved in Little Britches Rodeo. He showed his horses at The National Western Stock Show. Ralph loved all sports. He took his children to watch The Denver Bears, Denver University football, and even had season tickets to CU football. But most significantly, he was an avid Denver Bronco fan. He became a season ticket holder in 1967. In 1978, the Broncos went to their first Super Bowl Ralph, Luella, LuAnn and John made the trip to New Orleans to attend the game at the Super Dome. He suffered every loss and celebrated every win. Another passion that Ralph and Luella shared was traveling. They traveled extensively across the United States as well as across Canada and Mexico. Pursuing his Italian heritage, they made several trips to Italy. On his first trip there, he met many relatives for the first time and even met cousins who were living in the house where his father lived before he came through Ellis Island to become a citizen of the U.S. They traveled throughout Europe and British Isles. They also went to New Zealand and Australia. They went on several cruises including the Panama Canal, Alaska, and the northeast to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Ralph never met a stranger, often starting a conversation while sitting on a bench on a trip or enjoying a cup of coffee in a hotel lobby. He loved life and took advantage of the best that life had to offer. His strength of character never waivered in the face of life's challenges and disappointments. He was a rare man who is dearly loved and will be greatly missed.