Ronald L. Violi, 81, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2021, at his home in Fox Chapel, PA. His battle with serious medical issues in recent years demonstrated the courage he showed when facing all of life's challenges.

Ron was a lifelong and proud Pittsburgher.  At the age of 17, he left high school to join the Navy.  He credited the military with instilling in him discipline and a pursuit of excellence that served him well throughout his lifetime.  He was assigned to a submarine unit, was certified in scuba, deep sea, and salvage diving. He traveled the world and was a member of the elite Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), the forerunner to the United States Navy Seal program that exists today.

After leaving the Navy, Ron returned home to Pittsburgh to marry his high school sweetheart, Patricia Marie Larkin.  He shared with his children he would have been a career Navy guy, but it was the Navy or your mom, and I chose your mom.  Ron's first post-Navy job was as a door-to door salesman, and he quickly discovered he had a talent for both sales and business.  Those gifts propelled him to a successful career in retail sales and management and, during the second phase of his career, as a leader in healthcare administration.  Ron's professional achievements and awards are many, but the two career accomplishments of which he was most proud were The Appliance Store and being the President and CEO of Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

In 1975, Ron and his partners opened the first, The Appliance Store, in Allegheny Center Mall on the North Side of Pittsburgh.  In the early days, Ron sold by day and made deliveries at night.  Over the course of 15 years, The Appliance Store grew into a chain of 58 stores throughout the tristate area.   And as the business and Ron prospered, he felt a deep need to share his many blessings with others. One of his first philanthropic endeavors was fundraising for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, for which he received The Pittsburgh Press Old Newsboys' Award multiple times and lead him to a job about which he was personally and professionally passionate.

Ron was asked to join the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh board in 1987, and in 1998 he was asked to help turn around the financially failing Children's. Under Ron's leadership as President and CEO, the hospital didn't just get back into the black, it thrived financially.  He became a tireless champion for pediatric medicine, raising tens of millions of dollars for the hospital and various pediatric causes. In 2001, that work was recognized by the Children's Board of Trustees who honored Ron and his wife with The Ronald L. and Patricia M. Violi Endowed Chair in Child Development .  Toward the end of his tenure at Children's, Ron engineered the hospital's move from Oakland to its current home in Lawrenceville, PA and spearheaded the construction of the beautiful facility that currently serves not only the children of Western Pennsylvania, but children from across the globe. He often remarked that his work at Children's was the most rewarding of his life.

Ron sat on numerous boards and received numerous awards and accolades during his career.  But that which was most important to him was his faith and his family.  A devout Catholic, he tried to attend mass daily, constantly prayed for others, and sought God's direction in all matters.  Second only to his love of God was his love of family.  That sense of family started with his parents and siblings and grew exponentially when he married and had children, granddaughters, and great-grandchildren.  A day did not go by when Ron's kids didn't hear from him, and rare was the night that he didn't say "goodnight and God bless you."

Ron was proceeded in death by his parents, Edith and Chuck Violi, brother Jimmy Violi, and sister Vicki Lyn.  Married for 59 years, Ron is survived by the "love of his life" Patricia Marie Violi; his three children Valerie Violi Satkoske (Scott), Victor Violi (Deneane), and Victoria Louise Violi (Robert Connors); his five adoring granddaughters, Maggie Carr (Billy Hepfinger), Veronica Hannan (Daniel), Casey Carr, Rachel Violi, and Sydney Heintzinger; and his great grandchildren, Henry, Violet James, and Arthur Hannan.  Also survived by his brothers Wesley Violi (Nancy) and Mickey Violi (Patty) and his sister-in-law, Connie Violi, and his many nieces and nephews.

Friends and family will be received at Eloise B. Kyper Funeral Home, 2702 Mt. Royal Blvd., Glenshaw, PA on Sunday, August 8, from 5 – 8 pm and Monday, August 9, from 2-8 pm.

The funeral mass will be held at Christ the King Parish, St Joseph Church, 342 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA on Tuesday, August 10, at 10 a.m. with Father Thomas Miller officiating.  We ask that those who wish to attend the mass proceed directly to the church for the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to

The Violi Family Fund

c/o Fund for Charitable Giving

116 Allegheny Center

P8-YB35-02-Z

Pittsburgh, PA 15212