Riccardo Pacini

Riccardo Pacini, beloved father, grandfather, and small business owner, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026 in Golden, Colorado, surrounded by loved ones at his home. He was born on July 26, 1939 in Massarosa, Italy to the late Geremia and Rosa (Checchi) Pacini.

Riccardo grew up during World War II in the hills of Tuscany near the Viareggio coast. At the age of 19, he took a boat to America and founded a new life in New York. With his sister, Mariangela (Pacini) Rontani, he worked hard to bring his parents and two other siblings, Graziella (Pacini) Buonanno and Walter Pacini to America. Mariangela and Walter eventually returned to Italy.

In New York, he met Alice (Howes) Muhlhauser and they moved to Colorado where they married and had two children, Karina and Brian. Following their divorce, he married Regina (Lavrinc) Miller with whom they had a daughter, Karri. Their marriage eventually ended.

Riccardo was drafted into the American Army in 1963 and was stationed in West Germany achieving the rank of Specialist E-4 and receiving an honorable discharge in 1965. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1977.

A jack of all trades, Riccardo worked in electrical, plumbing, hair dressing and selling wigs early in his career. After moving to Colorado, he invested in real estate–doing fix and flips and property management. But his true passion was food. Missing his Italian cuisine, he opened Deli Italia in 1987, bringing amazing Italian food and culture to the community for decades.

Aside from making food, Riccardo enjoyed hunting mushrooms, working in the greenhouses he built for growing hydroponic foods, and travelling–frequently going back to Europe and visiting Peru, the Philippines, and Mexico. He also loved hiking the canyons of Utah and Colorado.

Riccardo is survived by his children Karina (Michael) Gaylord, Brian Pacini, and Karri (Will) Castillo; his siblings Mariangela Rontani, Walter (Nina) Pacini; his wonderful grandchildren Xander, Vivianna “Vivi”, Avalee, Anna, Bella, Jamario, and Colton; as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends. In addition to his parents, Riccardo was preceded in death by his sister, Graziella (Vinny) Buonanno and brother-in-law, Atos Rontani.

Memorial services will take place at Elk’s Lodge #17 in North Denver on Sunday, March 22nd from 12 pm to 3 pm. His ashes will be spread at a later date by family in Utah, Italy, and his favorite secret mushroom hunting spots in Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Nature Conservancy in Riccardo Pacini’s memory.

Please visit horancares.com to share personal condolences and memories with the Pacini Family.

And visit this YouTube video to see Riccardo talk about his delicious food at Deli Italia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FreGc_vR9u8