Rolando Joseph Ranaglia, 83, passed away on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at his home in Royersford.
Born in Hershey, he was the son of the late Sabatino and Francesca (Zeppilli) Ranaglia.
After graduating from Hershey High School, he served in the Army Reserves. He had a long, successful career as a computer engineer with GE and Unisys. His proudest professional accomplishment was designing an electronic circuit on the Voyager which is only one of two human-made objects to have entered interstellar space.
Rolando was truly a one-of-a-kind human being who was loved by all. He was the light in the lives of everyone he met and left a lasting impact on people. He never failed to make everyone around him laugh. Rolando was a man of faith and spread the word of God without hesitation. He lived the mantra of “love God and love one another.” His unwavering faith and trust in the Holy Spirit, which he affectionately referred to as the “Spirito Santo,” was something to be admired. He had a generous heart and an adventurous spirit. He saw beauty in the simple things in life.
His two main priorities in life were faith and family. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was very proud of his Italian heritage and cherished his relationships with his family in Italy as well. He had a passion for music and was a talented saxophone, accordion, and piano player. He played saxophone professionally in several bands. He enjoyed listening to jazz music, taking trips to the beach, boating on the river, the city of Philadelphia, and his beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Surviving is his son Michael Ranaglia, husband of Mindy; daughter Gia Padfield, wife of Robert; and daughter Lori Zernick, wife of Doug; grandchildren Michael Ranaglia Jr., husband of Lisa, Tony Ranaglia, husband of Leslie, Sierra Padfield, fiancé of Pierce Shein, Olivia Padfield, Austin Padfield, Mia Zernick, and Ella Zernick; great-grandchildren AJ, Emma, Julianna, and Lily.
He is predeceased by his daughter Francine Ranaglia.
A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 11:00AM at St. Teresa of Calcutta Church (256 Swamp Pike, Schwenksville, PA 19473) with Fr. Pigeon officiating. Burial will follow at Schwenksville Cemetery. A viewing will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025 from 6:00-8:00PM at Catagnus Funeral Home (329 N. Lewis Rd., Royersford, PA 19468). A viewing will also be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 10:00AM-10:45AM at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Food for the Poor (https://foodforthepoor.org/) in Rolando’s name.