Monday, November 18, 2024
My family lived next door to the Fresta family on St. Mary's Street on the west side of Detroit. Nunzio, Vita, and Tina introduced me to Joey when I was seven or eight years old. The times Joey spent with the Fresta family were some of the happiest days of my life. There was great excitement when we heard Joey Ravida was coming to the neighborhood. When Joe visited, we played whatever sport was in season. I remember playing strike out with him. He took on the line up of the Chicago White Sox and I took on the line up of the Baltimore Orioles - when you got to the second and seventh hitters in the lineups you were required to bat left-handed. Joe's pitchers were Joe Horlen, Tommy John and Gary Peters. The White Sox always won, but I do remember a time I hit a home run off of him. And Joey taught me how to read baseball box scores in the newspaper. We played basketball, football, and the greatest games of "hide and go seek" and "kick the can" ever played in any neighborhood. I went to my first Detroit Lions football game with Joey and Nunzio and our fathers with a group from Eastmans Lounge in Lincoln Park. And I remember how tremendously proud Joe was of the great teams and tradition of All Saints basketball. We all looked up to Joe. He was three years older and much wiser than the rest, but he never dismissed us as little kids. He was special. He extended care and kindness to all. He enriched my life, and I will never forget him. Condolences to Mrs. Ravida and to all the Ravida family. May God grant Joe eternal rest.
Sincerely,
Denis Riordan
Braintree, MA