Roy A. Riggio, 89

Roy A. Riggio, a longtime resident of New Canaan, CT, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2023, at the age of 89. Born on April 23, 1934, in the heart of Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late Rosario and Mary (Piacente) Riggio. Roy was the beloved husband of Barbara Murach Riggio for 64 wonderful years. They had a beautiful life together.

Roy A. Riggio

Roy had the opportunity to pursue a baseball career with the New York Yankees, yet he chose instead to attend college, which pleased his mother greatly. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. John’s University in 1955, Roy honorably served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, stationed in Europe. Following his military service, he embarked on a successful career in the paper industry, eventually becoming the President and owner of American Paper Sales, Inc. His desire to give back to his community led him to serve several years as an elected member of the New Canaan Board of Education, notably as the chairman in 1983 and 1984. He was a long-standing member of the New Canaan Rotary Club, Senior Men’s Club and The Country Club of Darien.

While Roy was an accomplished professional, his true passion lay in family life. His devotion to his wife, three children, four grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends was unparalleled. Roy relished every opportunity to explore the world with his loved ones, creating lasting memories during family vacations to destinations like Sweden, Aruba, Bermuda and Old Saybrook. He cheered on his grandkids from the sidelines at sporting and school events every chance he got.

Roy is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara, his daughter Janine Tienken and her husband Douglas of Darien, CT; his son Kenneth Riggio of Stockholm, Sweden; his son Richard Riggio of Los Angeles, CA; and his cherished grandchildren, Katherine Riggio, Melissa Riggio, Morgan Tienken and Connor Tienken.

A visitation in Roy’s memory will be held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hoyt Funeral Home, located at 199 Main Street, New Canaan, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Aloysius Church, 21 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT, followed by burial at Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Roy’s name to be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation or the VFW to support their noble causes.