Passed Away On: July 11, 2020
March 1, 2022, update: A Mass and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 12 at Immaculate Conception Church in Tres Pinos, California followed by a reception in church hall. Mass begins at noon and reception begins at 1:00 p.m.
Ronald Joseph Siletto passed away at his Hollister residence on July 11, 2020, at the age of 86 years.
Ronald Joseph Siletto was a fearless and optimistic first generation Italian American kid from Boston, who went on to lead an incredibly interesting and fulfilling life.
Ron was born in Boston in 1933 as the only son of immigrants from the town of Cigliano in the region of Piedmont, Italy. They were poor but happy. He spoke only Italian until he was 6. He graduated from Boston College, served 5 years in the Navy, and went into the corporate world, which would lead him to the position of President of Almaden Wines, one of the largest wineries in the world.
As President of Almaden, Ron was heavily involved in industry, and associated with many of the legends who helped build the reputation that California wines enjoy today; He was one of them. Almaden owned extensive vineyards, and two wineries in San Benito County, and Ron fell in love with the area. When Almaden sold to Heublein in 1986, Ron bought the smallest Almaden property, the 25-acre Findlay Ranch in Paicines, and started farming. He fell in love with grape growing, San Benito County, and the people who lived here. He became part of the community and never left.
He was smart, charming, handsome and successful. He loved people, especially his wife Dee, his family and his friends of all ages and from all walks of life. He was a passionate learner and a curious and creative thinker. He genuinely enjoyed meeting and learning about new people and was an engaging conversationalist on a wide range of topics from business strategy to why the Sharks couldn’t win the Stanley Cup. He loved to laugh and made amazing friendships that lasted a lifetime; you could count on him. He was an incurable optimist, always seeing the bright side and the opportunity in life.
We will miss him dearly. He was part of the fabric of our lives. He is preceded in death by his second wife, Patricia Miller Siletto and survived by his wife, Dee, his 3 children, Rhonda, Joseph and John and 7 grandchildren.
A Mass of the Resurrection will be held “out doors” at Immaculate Conception Church in Tres Pinos on Friday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery
State of California Covid 19 rules will apply