Dante A. Ridolfi

Dante “Don” Arthur Ridolfi
Oct. 14, 1921-Nov. 16, 2015

Dante “Don” Ridolfi peacefully passed away at Astoria Gardens in Tracy on Nov. 16, 2015. He was 94. He was born on Oct 14th 1921 in New England Mills, CA now known as the town of Weimar. His parents were Idamo and Ida Ridolfi. H grew up with 6 lively brothers and sisters. Don attended Placer High School in Auburn where he played football, baseball, was in the band and president of his senior class.
After high school, Don went to work for Southern Pacific Railroad building train tracks. This is when he met his future wife Goldie on a road trip to a big dance. Goldie was dating the driver of the car and Don was just along for a ride to the dance. Don was the one who ended up marrying Goldie just six months later, on May 11, 1942.
World War II came along, and he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942. He was stationed in New Zealand, Guadalcanal, Saipan and Tarawa, among others.
After the war he and Goldie settled in Tracy, where Don started working for H.J. Heinz. In 1958 he and Goldie purchased a house in Tracy where they raised their four children.
Don’s lifelong love of music became a second source of income for his family. Over the years he played his big stand-up bass with many local bands and become a well-known fixture with dance bands all over the valley. Eventually he formed his own band “The Dolphins” and became a popular group at parties and events all over Tracy and Northern California.
Don and Goldie also found time for an active social life which included bowling leagues, square dancing, Scout leader, The American Legion, the Tracy V.F.W., senior citizen bus trips that he organized, the Westside Pioneers, the West Side Historical Society, and a parishioner of the First Presbyterian Church of Tracy.
Don is survived by one sister, Melba James of Colfax, Calif. Also by his four loving children: Faith Eskue of Turlock, Stephen Ridolfi Sr. and wife Anita of Tracy, A’Enene Herriage of Stockton, and SueEllen Taylor and husband Ken of Tracy. He will also be greatly missed by his 11 grandchildren: Carrie Loscke (Steve) of Modesto, Jodie Aguilar (Joe) of Turlock, Stephen Ridolfi Jr. (Shawn) of Tracy, Dante Ridolfi (Eleina) of Stockton, Gina Alegre (Matt) of Manteca, Phillip Hallsworth (Amanda) of Citrus Heights, Michelle Seligman of Redding, Joshua Herriage (Kristie) of Stockton, Jill Souza (Steve) of Manteca, Ken Taylor (Janae) of Modesto, and Katie Taylor of Tracy; a sweet grandfather to 25 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Besides his parents, Don was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Goldie, in 2013. He was also preceded by five siblings: George Carney, Olive Cortopassi, Florence Miner, Wilma Riley and Americo Ridolfi. Also three beloved sons-in-law: Bill Eskue, Mike Herriage and Mike Dees.