The Ricci Family

Edward (1964, BA, Recreation) and Rosalie Ricci (1968, MA, Home Economics) dated each other as early as the ninth grade when they met at Saint Francis Catholic High School in Riverside. A day after Edward’s graduation from Long Beach State University (LBSU), Edward married Rosalie, and they spent over 50 years together before his passing in 2016.

Rosalie received her teaching credentials from San Jose State University and taught in the Santa Ana School District until she stayed home to raise her two children. Edward worked at the Department of Recreation for the City of Lakewood before becoming a Superintendent of the City of Carson. He eventually opened his own State Farm Agency in 1979, and Rosalie joined him to help run the family business.

The Ricci family fulfilled Edward and Rosalie’s wishes by creating a scholarship to assist working LBSU students who are pursuing their education. This scholarship reflects Edward and Rosalie’s deep commitment to higher education and hard work, which they instilled in their family.

One of the ideas behind this scholarship was sparked by a conversation between Edward and his children during a car ride. They listened to Dave Ramey’s radio segment about a man who spent $60,000 for his family to go on a cruise. When he got home, his town was looking for bicycles for kids. He decided to purchase all of the bikes, which is equivalent to the cost of his recent cruise and asked if his family could help distribute the bikes. Since then, Edward and Rosalie encouraged their family to give back to the community.

The Ricci family continues to be involved in the community through their volunteerism and profession. Presently, members of the Ricci family resides in Long Beach and Las Vegas.