San Joaquin County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Marquez, Ronald "Rocky" March 19, 2005 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cheryl Davis-Holman Cis1052@aol.com March 24, 2005, 10:54 am The Record March 22, 2005 Stockton Ronald "Rocky" Marquez Nov. 28, 1941 - March 19, 2005 Ronald "Rocky" Marquez, age 63, passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at a local hospital after losing more than a 30 year battle with heart disease. He was born in Alamosa, Colorado to Diego and Helen Marquez. While serving in the United States Navy, Rocky's ship came into the Port of Stockton, where he met his first wife, Joyce Bush. In 1965 Rocky settled in Stockton where he began his career as a firefighter at the Waterloo-Morada Fire Department. At the age of 33, while working for the now extinct Lincoln Fire District, he had his first heart attack and subsequent heart bypass surgery. Rocky then passed many medical exams and rigorous physical tests in order to return to active duty as a fireman for the City of Stockton Fire Department. He became the first firefighter in the United States to return to full duty after coronary bypass surgery. Rocky's daring personality and love for excitement made an exceptionally good firefighter. He retired from the Stockton Fire Department in 1984 after his second heart attack and surgery. His deteriorating health had slowed him down, but not enough to miss all of his grandchildren's football, soccer, basketball and baseball games, and he always could muster up enough strength for a good poker game! All who knew Rocky will remember his great send of humor, his joking ways and how he loved to tease everyone. In the last ten years Rocky fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling by motorcycle across much of the United States with his wife, Anne Marie. He will be remembered for his stamina, love of life and his fighting spirit. Rocky is survived by his loving and devoted wife and companion, Ann Marie Dell'Aringa-Marquez, with whom he shared the last ten years of his life. He was the proud and loving father of Scott (Stephanie) Marquez, Veronica (Tony) Delucchi, Nikki (Tony) Verdun, all of Stockton and his stepchildren, Dave (Eileen) Dell'Aringa of Corona and Anthony Dell'Aringa of Sacramento. He was the greatly adored Papa of Chelsea, Chandler and Noah Marquez, Lauren and Jack Delucchi, Devan Barkley, Tiana and T.J. Verdun and Jay, David and Gianni Dell'Aringa. He is survived by his sisters, Loretta Steele of Oakdale, Suzanne Lawrence of San Jose, Brenda Bahten of Sacramento and his brother, Greg Steele of Sacramento. Many loving nieces and nephews will long remember their special "Uncle Rocky". At Rocky's request, a happy celebration of his life will be held at the Italian Athletic Club, 3541 N. Cherryland Ave., Stockton, CA on Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. Please dress in happy, colored attire. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 28 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Michael's Church, 5882 N. Ashley Lane, Stockton, CA. There will be no visitation and committal is private. DeYoung Memorial Chapel, 601 N. California St., Stockton, in charge of arrangements. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/sanjoaquin/obits/marquez6692gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb