1931 – 2017

LEWISTON — Elsie F. Ranucci, 85, of 104 Davis Ave., Auburn, died Friday, Jan. 13, at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

Born in Lynbrook, N.Y., on June 27, 1931, she was the daughter of Henry and Ethel Ryder Roenbeck. Educated in Lynbrook and Malverne, N.Y., schools, she was a graduate of Malverne High School, Class of ’49. She worked as a secretary in Mineola, N.Y. In 1952, she married the love of her life, Dominick J. Ranucci. He passed away Sept. 26, 2016.

Besides her stepdaughter, she and Dominick had three daughters and three sons, and by 1966 she was back to work as a medical transcriptionist. In 1969, they bought a camp in Hartford. They enjoyed their summers in Maine so much that in 1976 they moved to Hodgdon, where they owned and operated Ranucci’s Market until 1983. That year, they moved to Auburn and she went to work in the business office of Central Maine Medical Center, until her son Mike opened The Fishery Restaurant, where she worked for the next 17 years prior to her retirement.

In her spare time, she enjoyed reading and crocheting, made afghans for all of her children, and managed to complete an afghan for 18 of her 20 grandchildren before her passing. She had a lifelong love of animals, especially her dogs and cats.

She is survived by three sons, Michael and wife, Karen, of Auburn, Paul and wife, Sonomi, of Auburn, and Frank and wife, Beth, of Pickens, S.C.; four daughters, Irene Ranucci and husband, Gary Gordon, of San Jose, Calif., Lenore Ricciardelli of Waterville, Diane Stanley of Farmingdale, and Mary and husband, Phil Edwards, of Lisbon; a former son-in-law, Cliff Stanley of Waterville; 20 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Besides her parents and her husband of 62 years, Dominick, she was predeceased by a son-in-law, Lou Ricciardelli; two brothers, Hank and Lloyd; and a sister, Ruth.

Condolences, and a video tribute may be accessed online at www.albert-burpee.com.