Rocco Gulli
October 9, 1926 - November 23, 2017
Rocco Gulli, 91, of San Francisco passed away on November 23, 2017. He was born in a house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Scilla, Italy in the province of Calabria on October 9, 1926. His birth was not recorded until two days later when his parents Francesca and Carmelo made the journey to the clerk’s office for the official documentation. He enjoyed celebrating both birthdays all of his 91 years. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Vincenzo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Sandra Pardini Gulli, whom he met on the steps of Saints Peter and Paul Church. He was the proud father of Francesca Maria Hayes (John) and Christopher Julian Gulli (Esther) and grandfather of Paul and Alessandra Hayes and Elizabeth and Grace Gulli, whom he spoiled every day of their lives. He will be remembered fondly by his nephew, Michael Gulli (Debbie) and their children Vincent and Sarah, as well as his Pardini nieces and nephews, and cousins throughout the U.S. and Italy.
A graduate of Liceo Classico Tommaso Campanella in Reggio Calabria, he went on to earn his PhD in Chemistry from the Università di Bologna. He followed his father and brother to the United States after the war, spending a short time in Pittsburgh working for US Steel before riding a Greyhound bus across the country to settle in San Francisco. There he worked as a research chemist for the VA Hospital for 30 years. A lifelong learner, in retirement he studied Russian at City College of San Francisco and traveled to St. Petersburg as an exchange student in his seventies.
His lasagna was legend on both sides of the bay, and every other year he took great pride in preparing hundreds of jars of jam for the Holiday Boutique at St. Anne’s Home where he volunteered frequently. He was a Knight of Malta, traveling to Lourdes, France as a young man of 76 to take care of the infirm. He enjoyed his weekly lunches with Il Cenacolo where he engaged in lively discussions about Italian culture and San Francisco history. He loved travel, especially his trips to his home in Italy with his family. He made his final journey there last year to celebrate his 90th birthday.
He lit up every room he entered and will be missed by all who knew him.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saints Peter and Paul Church at 10:30 am on Wednesday, December 6. A private burial will be held.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Anne’s Home, 300 Lake St., San Francisco, CA 94118, or Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, 1055 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94109.