With heavy hearts and overwhelming sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved Ronnie Joseph Aparicio, born March 29, 1957, in Santa Barbara; died December 14 at home in Santa Maria. He is survived by his mother, Connie Aparicio Feltch; stepdad, Donald Feltch; his wife Sally and their two sons Randy and Ryan. Also survived by a sister, Patricia Schrader; her husband Julio Alvarez; along with nieces and nephew: Adriana, Daniel and Kelly Schrader; and a grandchild, Willoh Aparicio. Also survived by numerous cousins who live in the area. Predeceased by his father, Joe J. Aparicio. He was a proud second-generation Santa Barbaran. In 1989, he met his wife Sally (nee Morales), at Builders Emporium in Goleta. Sally was born and raised in Santa Maria. After their marriage on November 21, 1992, they made Santa Maria their forever home.
Ronnie was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, and uncle. Family was everything to him. And he loved to celebrate all the favorite holidays. You could find his house all lit up with lights, decorations, and blow-ups. Ronnie was a loyal fan of the Lakers and Dodgers. He coached his sons, Randy and Ryan, on their various teams in Santa Maria from 1998 to 2019. He served on the Orcutt American Little League Board as equipment manager from 2017 through 2020. He was involved as a manager, coach, and board member of OALL for eight years. His love of baseball has been passed on to his son, Ryan.
Ronnie and Sally were devoted to Ryan’s 805 baseball travel team for four seasons from 2017-2020. He always had his camera ready! He was also a dedicated basketball coach. He coached for six seasons for the Boys and Girls Club, City of Santa Maria Parks and Rec for the summer seasons. He loved and remembered all the boys by name and loved to see them grow as players. He coached his son Randy in baseball (OALL) and football for Orcutt Youth Football from 1998 through 2002. Ronnie started out as an apprentice in Carpenters Local Union No. 1062, of which his father, Joe Aparicio, was a business agent/financial secretary. Later, he joined the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 12 at the suggestion of stepdad, Don, who was a longtime member of that union. In 2018, Ronnie retired from the Operating Engineers Union but remained a member receiving his 20-year pin on December 1st, 2020. His father Joe was an impeccable dresser, and Ronnie caught on very fast! His shoes always matched his shirts, something he probably inherited from his mother.
Ronnie had many talents. He loved to cook, do garden landscaping, and pump iron in his garage gym. We will all miss his bomb BBQ pork ribs, tri-tip, and his holiday prime rib roast! Everything always came together with such precision and execution! Anyone who really knows Ronnie, knows that he is a serious cat lover. His most current cats, Macy and Milo, are missing him terribly. He loved to kickback on his sofa and give them lots of TLC. Ronnie cherished his lifelong friendships. Many began with his grammar school days at Our Lady of Guadalupe, and continued on into his high school years at Bishop Garcia Diego and San Marcos. And he made many more friends throughout his adult years. After son Ryan was born in 2008, Ronnie and Sally made frequent trips to Santa Barbara to visit Nana Connie. He wanted to make sure his mom didn’t miss any of the important milestones in Ryan’s life. Their trips usually included lunch at Harry’s (Ronnie’s all-time fave —steak sandwich, well done!), and strolling through Shoreline Park down to Leadbetter Beach. There will be a viewing at Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, 1003 E. Stowell Rd., Santa Maria, CA, on Monday, December 21, from 4-7 pm. Groups of 10 will be allowed to visit at one time. Masks are required. Graveside service will be December 23, 11:00 am, Calvary Cemetery, 199 N. Hope Ave., Santa Barbara.
