Morris Township couple presumed dead in a house fire to be remembered Saturday
MORRIS TOWNSHIP — Services will be held this weekend for a couple whose house was destroyed in a fatal fire earlier this month.
Robert and Gemma Ricciardi will be remembered in a joint memorial mass at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in Morris Township at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, according to a published obituary of the couple.
"Our family is deeply saddened to lose these two beautiful souls, but know they are together during the greatest journey there is with God," the obituary reads.
The Ricciardis died after their home on Normandy Heights Road caught fire early on the morning of Aug. 5. Two bodies were recovered from the ruins, but authorities still have not confirmed the identity of the victims as autopsy results are pending.
Lt. Joseph Costello of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said last week he could not provide a time frame for when more information on the fire investigation will be released. He said the office has received multiple inquiries and "will get something out as soon as we are able to."
The posting of the obituary appears to confirm what fire investigators feared when they could not locate the couple the morning after the blaze. Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said at the time that the house was "beyond a total loss," consumed by a fire so large that airline pilots passing overhead called in to report it.
Robert Ricciardi, 87, and Gemma Ricciardi, 85, grew up in Newark and had been married for more than 60 years, the obituary stated. Both were members of the Ferrari Club of North America and enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Robert, known to many as Bob or Bobby, was the executive vice president of the Ricciardi Brothers chain of paint stores he operated with his brother, Walter. The company was founded by their father, Joseph, in 1929, and the brothers expanded the business to more than 45 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, according to the Ricciardi Brothers website.
The Ricciardis were known for their community involvement and generous support of local causes. Gemma was on the committee for the Welcome Wagon of Morristown, now known as Newcomers & Neighbors, and Robert was on the Morris Museum Board of Trustees.
"Both he and Gemma were ardent, active supporters of the Morris Museum, Bickford Theater and generous benefactors to many local community organizations, and their loss will be felt greatly by many," the museum said in a Facebook post. "We will look back on Bob's impact and legacy at the museum with immense gratitude and appreciation."
The obituary cited the Ricciardis' passion for the museum, located down the street from their home, when asking community members to consider donating in the couple's name. Donors can contribute online or by sending funds to the Morris Museum Development Office, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, New Jersey 07960.
Aside from charitable efforts, Bob Ricciardi enjoyed attending New York Giants football games, working on classic cars and driving race cars, according to the obituary. Gemma's interests included fashion and home decorating, and she loved cooking gourmet dishes and entertaining family and friends at home.
The couple is survived by a son, Robert Ricciardi Jr., along with many other family members and friends.
This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Morris Township couple in fatal house fire to be remembered
