Obituary of Ralph Eugene Ciacco

Mount Pleasant, Ralph Eugene Ciacco, age 64 of Mount Pleasant, PA, died unexpectedly Saturday (10/18/14) at UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Ciacco was born June 6, 1950 in Mount Pleasant, PA, the son of the late Eugene M. and Marjorie J. Petro Ciacco. He was a member of the Scottdale Church of Christ. Ralph was a 1968 graduate of the Southmoreland High School. His love for his wife was evident in all that he did. It was the simple things that brought them joy through the years. It was a high school wrestling match where their story begins. Cheryl saw this handsome guy in the crowd and asked her friend who he was. She was a sophomore and he was a senior. The love story of a cheerleader/majorette dating a 'shop' guy begins! Their story began in high school but has now spanned 42 years as of this past July. Ralph only took one day off following his high school graduation in 1968 from Southmoreland High School, before beginning his apprenticeship for tool and die maker at Penn State Tool & Die Corporation, (formerly in Irwin, Pa.), Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Tooling and machining was in the blood, as it was also a trade of his father. He continued from tool and die maker to manufacturing engineering and eventually was named President of Penn State Tool & Die Corporation on February 16, 1998, followed a few years later by President & C.E.O. He spent a total of 46 years and 5 months with this company. Ralph was all in, giving much more than 100 percent. Any owner would love to have a shop full of "Ralphs."He was a Board Member for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) and served as a Trustee of the Foundation. He was also a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Ralph could often be found at Leo's Pub & Grill during lunch with colleagues from work, or entertaining clients for a lunch break between meetings. He and Cheryl could be found on their "dates" at the plant. Ralph would often go into work after hours or on weekends, take Cheryl with him and call it a 'date.' After sometime, this did become a special time for them to spend together. Ralph and his daughter, Roslyn, share a lot, particularly their brown eyes, their nose, and their love for Disney World and the Kennedy Space Center! When his cell phone rang with a call from his daughter, who lives in Florida, he would drop everything to take that call. Ralph learned recently that his daughter will be interviewing former President and Mrs. George W. Bush. His main question he wanted her to ask was if he could join President Bush in some hunting on his Texas property! He loved to throw people off their game by interjecting and sharing that his son-in-law was a clown. They would laugh, only to learn it was true. Ralph couldn't have been more proud of Rick if he was his own son. Hard worker, dedicated, and trustworthy are words that come to mind for this grandfather of two. Alex, age 9, and Katie, age 7, are the apples of his eyes! He called them affectionately, his "stinkweeds"! The kids loved it and giggled each time they heard him call them that. When together with the grandkids, you could find Ralph playing Barbie with Katie or Legos and KNEX with Alex. Pappy and Alex would often emerge from Alex's room with a KNEX piece that they installed a motor in and we'd all watch it move across the floor in awe of what they had accomplished. Alex at age 9 wants nothing more than to be like Pappy and be an engineer someday. There wasn't much traveling in this last year as most of the time was spent caring for his wife, who is currently in a fight against cancer. Ralph was never much for doctors or hospitals, but during this year he became quite the caregiver for Cheryl. Love can do that. Last October actually, before Cheryl's diagnosis was confirmed, they spent time with their daughter and grandkids at Disney World for a few days celebrating Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. During a recent trip to Florida to see his daughter and family, he enjoyed a very special time at 'Grandparents Day' at the children's school, as well as playground time with the kids, beach time with the family, and even visited a horse farm of a friend. Ralph could be found hunting or working on his model ship in his spare time. But most of all, he loved sharing pictures and videos of his Alex and Katie. He has been a member of Scottdale Church of Christ since he accepted Jesus at the age of 21 on March 18, 1972 while engaged to Cheryl. Ralph was an only child, but he was loved by several aunts, uncles, and cousins on the Ciacco and Petro sides of his family. Through Ralph's marriage to Cheryl, he inherited her brother and four sisters, and their spouses, as his own. And, it is through this family that he has been an uncle to several nieces and nephews. Ralph's greatest desire was to help young people today get started in the tool and die industry. Ralph is survived by his loving family: his wife of 42 years, Cheryl A. Cramer Ciacco, his daughter, Roslyn Karstedt and her husband Rick of Jacksonville, FL and his beloved grandchildren, Katie Belle and Alex Jonathan Karstedt. Family and friends will be received Monday from 6 to 8 PM and Tuesday from 2 to 4 & 6 to 8 PM at the Galone-Caruso Funeral Home, 204 Eagle Street, Mount Pleasant. Funeral Services for Ralph will be held Wednesday at 1:00 PM in the funeral home, with Bob Chambers, Minister of the Scottdale Church of Christ officiating. Entombment will be in the Middle Presbyterian Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Township. Donations are also being accepted in honor of Ralph's legacy to the industry of tooling and machining through the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Foundation, Inc. specifically for their apprenticeship program. This program will assist young people in getting a start in the same career as Ralph. Ralph's greatest desire was helping young people today get started in this industry. Checks can be made payable to "Pittsburgh Chapter NTMF" and mailed to:Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Foundation, Inc.107 Freedom Court Moon Township, PA 15108 *Please note that all donations are tax deducible. Tax ID 43-1955325, 501c3. To offer an condolence, please visit our web site at: www.galone-carusofuneralhome.com