Wallace Henderson Rossi

Seems wherever he went, adventure soon followed.  Perhaps not that unusual for a guy who began his early years in the Marines.  1963 found him off to join the Marine Corps with his brother, Ronald.  He out shot all the olympic instructors and wound up testing top secret missile launchers for the government called the “Red Eye” missile.  For Wally even the mundane would often lead to excitement: he followed his daughters in fast pitch softball for over 15 years, not missing one game. A rally car race car driver in Greece, an orangutan and bulls wandering over from the Animal Kingdom zoo that happened to be next to his house.  Calmer times found him out sailing and fishing and driving around the northeast selling pools. As a dad he doted on his girls: at his home he had three wheelers and horses, often took his girls skiing and he made costumes (Kermit the frog,Little red hen) that put all the others to shame: turns out he liked to sew. But he was always good with his hands: one day he decided that his horses needed a new stable, so he and his brother, Ron built one overnight. He in his younger years ran a vending machine business with his brothers and his later years found him selling swimming pools, flying single engine airplanes and being with all his grandchildren.
He is survived by his former wife, Sandra; his daughters, Janeen & husband, Michael Cobb , Deanna & husband, Dr. Peter Hrehorovich, Christina “Chrissy” & husband, George Gavrilis; grandchildren: Alexis & MacKenzie Cobb, Anna, Alexander,& Anthony Hrehorovich, Theodora, Diana, and Cassandra Gavrilis; siblings; Robert & Shirley Rossi, Ron Rossi, Roy Rossi, and Joyce Chiaccio; many nieces and nephews and his chess and poker buddies, nephews, Ron Rossi Jr and Buzz.
Come celebrate 76 years Sunday 6-8 p.m. and Monday 10-11 a.m. at Sweeney Funeral Home, Riverside where there will be a 11a.m. service.  Interment Oddfellows Cemetery.