Second World War veteran and Moot resident turns 102-years old
Ricci was born in Italy in 1920, but has resided in the Moot for 75 years.
A Moot resident, Paola Ricci celebrated a milestone as he turned 102-years-old on Tuesday, March 29.
Ricci was born in Italy in 1920 but has resided in the Moot for 75 years.
In 1941, he was called up for military service and sent to serve in the Second World War in North Africa.
He was initially sent to the front at Tobruk in North Africa and was later captured in Tunisia by Australian forces and was made a prisoner of war.
A year later, he was sent via ship to Durban with his destination by train to Zonderwater in Cullinan outside Pretoria to serve as a prisoner of war under the then leadership of General Jan Smuts.
During their prison years, the Italian prisoners of war were able to practice their skills and many were sent out to work on road and bridge building as well as many other jobs during this period.
In 1946, the war ended. Ricci decided to stay and to make South Africa his home, as you can well see that he so loved this country that he has lived in Pretoria ever since.
Being a tailor by trade, he perused his career and opened a shop in central Pretoria with the help of a local plumber who then helped set him up and gave him premises to work from.
This business was in the later years passed on to his brother Alberto, which successfully ran the renowned tailoring shop for over 55 years.
During this time, he had met his wife Fosca who was a local girl of Italian descent with parents that had immigrated from Tuscany Italy to South Africa in the late 1890s.
He then went farming with his father-in-law on the farm situated in Solomon Street, Gezina where they had two children, Loretta and Aldo.
In 1975, he started and headed Samca Tiles in Babelegi, Hammanskraal where he worked for five years and later sold and retired and has since been a retired pensioner for over 42 years.
He has two living children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and still makes his homemade wine each year since then.
According to his son, Aldo, this must most certainly be the secret for living so long.
“Wine and family forever. We had such a special celebration on his special day, but this coming weekend we will all gather as a family for yet another celebration.
“He is loved by the community and we all have learnt so much from him. He is a great father and grandfather.
“We thank the Lord that he has been spared for us for so long,” he said.
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