Francis Riccardi

Francis Riccardi, 83, of Morristown peacefully passed away at his home on November 11, 2026 after a courageous 6 year battle with Leukemia. He was surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Weehawken to Leonardo and Angelina Riccardi, Francis was raised in West New York, N.J. where he met his future wife of 58 years, Carolyn (nee Bello). They eventually moved west to settle in Wayne, N.J., where they raised their family for 27 years.

The couple later retired to the Jersey shore, living in Manahawkin and later in Waretown until recently moving to their dream home in Morristown.

In his younger years, Francis was a sportsman and an avid fisherman. To help pay for college and get ahead in life, he worked for the Ford Motor Company in Mahwah and the U.S. Testing company in Hoboken. Upon his graduation from St. Peter’s college, which included a semester abroad in Chile, he became a Spanish teacher at Memorial High School where he worked until his retirement in 1998. He never hesitated to share his love and passion for the Spanish language and all of its associated cultures, especially the food. His passion for teaching influenced his daughters to also pursue the profession. He eventually became a hobby farmer, raising his prized fig trees in the sandy soil of the Jersey shore. You could barely escape a conversation without him mentioning how many dozens of figs he picked on any particular day.

Above all, Francis treasured his family, all of whom he held near to his heart. He was the loving father of Janine Campen and her husband Patrick, Renee Crandall and her husband Joseph, and Marc Riccardi and his wife Tara. He was the cherished grandfather of Julia, Stephen, Kevin, Lia, Kendall, and Maren. He is survived by his older brother, Nicholas, and was predeceased by his younger brother Lawrence.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial mass for Francis at the Church of the Assumption Parish, 91 Maple Ave. Morristown on Tuesday November 17 at 10 AM. Inurnment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington. Arrangements are in the care of the Galante Funeral Home in Union, NJ.