Calogero Ragusa

June 6, 1930 - July 6, 2019

Calogero “Charlie” Ragusa, a Downey resident since 1974, passed on from this life on July 6, 2019. He had just turned 89 years old the previous month.

Charlie was born in San Cipirello, Sicily on June 6, 1930. At the age of 5, his family moved to Tunisia, a small Italian village in North Africa. There he met the love of his life Grazia “Grace,” who was born in the same village. The couple married in 1954 and immigrated to America in 1961. They first lived in Lynwood before relocating to Downey.

Charlie initially worked as a mason and then as an equipment operator at Container Corporation of America in Irvine. A deeply religious man, Charlie and his family joined Our Lady of Perpetual Church, where they weekly sat in the same seat at the 5pm Saturday mass. Charlie was also an avid member in the Downey Bocce Club.

He will be forever remembered by his sons Anthony (Christine) and Joseph (Elise); grandchildren Melissa (Tyler), Angela (Nick), Scott, Matthew, and Katelyn; and great-grandchildren Luke, Sophia, and Zachary.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 58 years Grazia and their daughter Fransceca.

The rosary was held at Miller Mies Mortuary on July 15. The funeral mass was the following day at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He was laid to rest at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach.