Dear Leona…please accept my heartfelt wishes that you may be comforted in your beautiful memories with Gary. I miss our good times as Red Hatters…where I got to know you as a lovely person and a devoted wife to Gary. To Gail & Kevin, Dylan & Collin…please let God comfort your aching hearts as your Dad/Grandpa has seen the Face of God! We can ask for nothing more! To Greg & family…we have never met, but my wishes are the same for you. Be comforted that your Dad was well liked and respected in his community. You are all in my prayers. God Bless
Mr. Roberto was an amazing educator and definitely an inspiration. He was the reason for my selecting Science as a minor and Elementary Ed as my major. Sending prayers for the family. May happy memories provide comfort during this difficult time.
Here I am at 78 thinking about you as a friend over many years, But more than that, I guess.
I remember your interest in my sister after you came to Bloss and I wondered how that ever happened. Nevertheless you were a professional educator and I was a redneck student not in particular good standing in the school.
I watched this new guy named Ruberto play baseball in Morris Run and knew you were considered a great asset to the team. Someone to watch with great expectations—many times fulfilled.
Basketball was not my bag but watching it was part of the high school experience. We had a good coach bringing a bunch of guys to appreciate good basketball. I guess everyone got a new sense of accomplishment watching the coach jump to heights we did not think possible. You demonstrated possibilities via practice—a great life lesson.
I often run into pictures of your beginning entry into our family through marriage. Your pursuit of Leona got you immersed into polish family stuff—potato noodles, one of the favorites.
I have images of my father and I pitching horseshoes in the back lawn. Once again, a technique you brought to the field was different and resulted in more ringers than we wanted to see when you competed against us. Lots of beer helped the medicine go down. We just thought you were darn good. ….. and you were!
I knew you had great patience with me when I released a hammer which went through the inside wall of the garage and resulted in replacing the sheet of drywall. You could have kicked my butt and sent me home. Nonetheless, you continued supporting me as I was trying to earn some change to go to school. That support has never been forgotten as well as your friendship across many other experiences.
The importance of fly fishing came to me via your efforts to catch trout when nothing else worked. I have vivid accounts of being amazed that you could catch trout right in front of me with a fly rod in hand. To this day I carry flies in my fishing vest as a tool for success on the stream. My thought----Gary would give this a try before giving up.
I know you think I should consider buying a new truck. You have offered me help to do so. At the same time you have accepted my plan to get the most from my 2000 Silverado. I am thinking you share some sentiment abut that since your garage has a few relics saved for a reason. Your garage looks a lot like mine----perhaps we are mentally connected more than we think.
You're a friend---a great brother-in-law, an inspiration, and companion. Just wanted you to know that.
Ray
My dear Leona and family, how I loved to see Gary's smile, beaming with pride over his beautiful bride, children and grands! He was so blessed, and has earned his place in his heavenly home, free from pain and frustration with failing health. I'm sure he is tending his garden and watching over you all. Gary was an angel here on earth for 82 years, and in heaven for eternity. May you find comfort knowing that he is fully healed now and reunited with loved ones from days gone by.
Cry, laugh, love one another as you share so many wonderful memories! God bless you and give you peace.
With love and sympathy,
Edye Waldmeyer
A lot of a great Memories… your family was the first to have a microwave in the neighborhood, I remember a few of us kids in the neighborhood in awe as we put a chunky candy bar in the microwave and you calling us knuckleheads because we left the silver wrapper on. Coloring pictures of dissected frogs in science class….. looking down the hall into your classroom seeing you sitting there with a Diet Pepsi and you would always have some sort of joke to tell me. you laughing hysterically during drivers ed at JK while he tried to figure out how to drive on a cloverleaf road on the overhead projector. Teaching me to drive… which was a challenge, I can still hear you telling me to slow down when going into my turn and then hit the gas as I turn the corner. You were a Great person and we were lucky to have you at NPHS. RIP Mr Ruberto
Gary was not only a client but a friend. I worked with Gary and his wonderful wife Leona for over 30 years. We spent countless hours talking, sharing, and laughing together! I will truly miss Gary and our time together!
I was fortunate to have played 3 years of Varsity Basketball for Coach Ruberto. He was always hard on me for reasons I never understood. Until one day he sat me down and told me living in Blossburg Pa as a Black Man is easy compared to the world you will face as a Black Man outside these walls. If I remember correctly at that time tears flooded my face.
I carried that message with me throughout life as I worked with some of life’s most challenging young people from worlds I couldn’t fathom or had no clue about.
As I coached them……I to coached them hard and gave them the same message Coach Ruberto gave me as a 18 year old senior at North Penn High School.
As those kids thanked me for changing their lives, I applaud you also Coach for being hard on me and teaching me the fundamentals of life. I can recall several times somebody would mess up and you would take it out on me knowing I could take it, but never knowing why when it was Billy Evans fault and not mine. Then I didn’t understand it, but growing into manhood that was you teaching your fundamentals of manhood and often times you will be blamed for things because of the uniform you unfortunately can never take off.
As you rest peacefully I will hold on to what you taught me and thank you for being someone who cared about me when I had no clue what you were doing or talking about.
Love you Coach……..and again a sincere thank you!
