Rudolfo “Rudy” Lingardo

Rudolfo “Rudy” Lingardo passed away on Friday, September 8, 2023 at UC Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, age 81.

Rudy was born on April 12, 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio on the “West Side” to Vito and Rose Lingardo. He is survived by his wife, Laura, his son, Lorenzo and his daughter-in-law, Natalie, as well as his sisters, Sylvia (Augustine) and Anita (Horstman). His brother, Sandino “Sandy” preceded him in death on September 15, 2022.

He is also survived by friends too numerous to mention. Rudy made lasting friends easily. Many from elementary, high school, and college located all across the country. He loved joining many of those friends for annual get-togethers appropriately called “Fools Trips” where they would share sage life advice with one another.

Rudy spent a large part of his last decade making and spending time with close and treasured friends at Elk Lake, Kentucky where he and Laura had a summer home. Evenings at the Winery with those friends were special to him, as was the generous hospitality of those friends to him and his family.

After graduating from Western Hills High School, where he was a member of Triginta Optimi fraternity, he went on to the University of Southern California where he joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity and graduated with a degree in Industrial Design. He built his own successful import company in San Diego.

Other accomplishments of which he was proud include a boat sailing trip from San Diego to Tahiti and touring Europe for several months on a motorcycle. Rudy loved and was great at telling stories about his many adventures - a few of which were actually true. Rudy was larger than life. He was the greatest story teller, and if you were Rudy’s friend, you were his family. To know Rudy was to love Rudy. “He was the kind of man that made you feel like you had been friends forever.”

A celebration of Rudy's life will start with a Mass on Friday, September 22nd at 10:30 AM at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church, 4390 Bridgetown Rd. Cincinnati, Oh 45211, then will continue following Mass at The Farm, 239 Anderson Ferry Rd. Cincinnati, Oh 45238 from 12-3pm. Memorials may be made in his name to the charity of your choice.