Ricardo Sanfilippo Obituary

A Memorial Visitation for Rick will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home, 917 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo. Please dress casual and comfortable, Notre Dame attire is encouraged. He will be laid to rest at Mt Olivet Cemetery. A private service near Notre Dame will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to Milestone Senior Services (Meals on Wheels) or Centrica Care Navigators.

Rick passed away on September 20, after a long battle with cancer. Rick is the firstborn son of Antonio and Jacqueline Irene (Mann) Sanfilippo, born on June 12, 1952.

Rick graduated from Comstock High School, graduating in 1970 where he excelled as a catcher for the Comstock Colts, achieving the All-City Catcher title. He attended KVCC for a time before following in his dad and grandfather's footsteps in a long career at the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Rick worked and retired from the Gazette, starting at a young age as a hard working paper boy, then in the circulation department and finally working as a pressman. Rick enjoyed his Gazette family, retiring in 2006. Early retirement allowed Rick to do some volunteering at Meals on Wheels and spend time with his grandchildren. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren to the movies and teaching them to say "Go Irish".

Not only did Rick standout in baseball, he was an avid bowler beginning in his youth. Rick celebrated an 800 series and loved getting out with his good buddies more than once a week.

Beyond bowling was golf, where he enjoyed being on the course with family and friends, teaching his son-in-law and his grandson the game, then shooting a hole-in-one.

Rick's love and passion was Notre Dame football, he attended many, many games with his dad, family and friends. He had a marvelous ND room in his home, surrounded by his memorabilia, he would watch many victories in that room with his family and friends.

Rick is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Sara and David McGruder, grandchildren, Bryce, Margaret, Zach and Cam, brother Tony (Denise Runge) Sanfilippo, niece and nephew, Kendalyn Sanfilippo and Garry (Molly) Sanfilippo, friend and former spouse, Cynthia Sanfilippo and by many dear cousins. Rick was pre-deceased by his parents, his grandparents and a brother, Antonio Jr.