Renato Salvatore D'Ambrosio

Renato D'Ambrosio passed away peacefully at his home in Burbank, CA
on Wednesday February 20th 2019. He was 90 years of age.

Renato was born in Calabria Italy and, after having survived World War II,
emigrated to the US with his family in 1946. Passing, as many did, through
the gates of Ellis Island on the shores of New York City. While attending
high school night classes he met and, in 1959, married Florida Barella and
soon began a family. The marriage lasted 58 years until Florida's death in
2017.

Florida and Renato had three children. Gilbert D'Ambrosio who is married
to Carla Albertini and has two children Ginevera and Stefano all now living in
Milan, Italy. Leonard D'Ambrosio who resides in Burbank, CA. And John
D'Ambrosio who is married to Eva Mackiewicz and resides in Woodland
Hills, CA.

The family moved from the Bronx, NY to Burbank, CA in 1976 where Florida
and Renato purchased their home of 39 years in 1980.

A tailor by trade Renato worked at Saks Fifth Avenue and a few smaller
shops in Northridge before retiring in 1996. An avid sports fan, Renato looked
forward to every NFL season as well as watching Italian professional soccer and
the world cup of soccer as well as almost all Olympic events in both the winter and
summer games.

He was also an avid Gardner and took great pride and spent long hours in his
backyard vegetable garden. Each Spring you could find him with shovel in hand; ready
to plant his latest crop. He was constantly looking for new and challenging vegetable
varieties to grow each season but was most proud of his numerous fig trees which he
cared for meticulously.

Renato was student of history, geography, philosophy and science as well as an admirer
the arts, especially music. He had an extensive classical music collection and could
play both the guitar and the mandolin. He even composed a small collection of his own
Mazurkas.

When "paint by numbers" kits became a fad in the 1970s you could often find
Renato working away at a canvas. His most challenging kit was a small scale replica of
Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper", the completion of which took several months due to
his being constantly interrupted by his three young sons. The painting turned out so well that
it has hung in the family dining room for over 40 years.

Renato enjoyed watching documentaries and reading up on the places where the events took
place. Also a bit of a science fiction buff he would spend numerous hours in his backyard
looking at the stars through his telescope and could easily identify most of the constellations.

Being the constant philosopher he would often reflect on the wonders of the cosmos and
speak about the relative insignificance of mankind. His general curiosity on virtually all subjects
of interest and his accumulated knowledge aided Renato in another favorite pastime completing
crosswords and other brain teaser puzzles.

A beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend he will be missed by all those who
knew him.



Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, California.