Dora Ridolfi

Visitation Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024
Visitation Time: 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Funeral Date: Friday, December 13th, 2024
Funeral Time: 10:30 am
Place of Funeral: Salerno's Rosedale Chapels
Funeral Notes: Prayers and final viewing will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday with a Chapel Service at 10:30 a.m. at the Funeral Home.
Interment: Queen of Heaven Cemetery

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved Mom and Nonna, Dora Ridolfi (nee Tessicini), of Pingree Grove (formerly of Addison) on December 7, 2024, after a brief but severe illness. She was 75.

Born on August 29, 1949 in Rome, Italy, Dora lived a full and vibrant life. She is now reunited with her beloved husband Giuseppe “Joe” Ridolfi, who predeceased her by three years. Together, they raised two children, Joann (Marc) Vocalino, and Daniele (Teresa) Ridolfi, who will forever cherish their memories of her. She was the loving sister of the late Gulianna (late Vittorio) Carioli, the late Antonina (late Ernest) Ridolfi, Candida (Domenico) Aspromonti, and Patricia Miller, and sister-in-law to Italo Ridolfi.

Dora is also survived by her five grandchildren, Miya Vocalino, Vincenzo Ridolfi, Daniela Ridolfi, Nicholas Ridolfi, and Joseph Vocalino, and several nieces, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Dora was a devoted homemaker, who took great pride in caring for her family. She was an exceptional cook, and at her happiest when she was cooking for a houseful of family and friends. No one ever went home hungry, or empty handed. And no one could ever duplicate what she made or how she made it. Mostly because nothing was ever written down. It was a little of this, a dash of that. It was an art, and it was perfect. She also enjoyed working as a hairstylist, both out of her house and as a shop owner and manager.

While she kept herself busy, she always made time for her grandkids, who were her everything. She loved going to watch them play in their many sporting events. She didn’t always understand what she was watching, but she was always their biggest fan. She insisted on taking a group picture with all of them at every family gathering, knowing full well that she was in for fifteen minutes of them goofing around, laughing, wrestling, tickling, and other foolishness while trying to get the picture taken. Her kids and grandkids loved to tease her about the way she said things, like when said she was playing games on her High Pad, or when she would sing A-bee Bore-day at birthday parties.

Dora loved to play poker with family and friends. She would loudly tell everyone at the table that she’s “got the nuts”, whether she had the best hand or not. She would bet, raise, and fold out of turn, and was never shy about grabbing back cards that she, or anyone else for that matter, had folded, to see if those cards would have won. That was just Dora being Dora.

She also became a substitute Mom for her nieces Marina and Stephanie, and for her son-in-law Marc, when their mothers passed away way too soon. She now joins both of those wonderful women in glory.

What Dora will be most remembered for was the care and devotion she showed to her husband Joe during his long heath struggles the last years of his life. She would spend hours, days, weeks with him while he was in the hospital. She would push him through his rehab sessions, drive him wherever he needed to be, help him walk or push him in a wheelchair so he could take part in as much as possible. Her life was entirely consumed with helping him. When he finally went to rest in October 2021, she was lost. No matter how much her kids, grandkids, sisters, nieces, and friends tried to fill the void, no one could ever fill her heart the way that Joe did. Those of us that are hurting at the loss of Dora can take solace knowing that she is once again with Joe.

Rest in peace, Dora. You will be forever missed, and always remembered.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 12, 2024 from 3-9 PM at Salerno’s Rosedale Chapel in Roselle, IL. A funeral service will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024 at 10:30 AM, at Salerno’s Rosedale Chapel, with interment at Queen of Heaven cemetery in Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation https://www.avmf.org/.