Leo Ricciardi

Leo "Lee" Ricciardi succumbed to a courageous battle with liver cancer at Collier Lutheran Hospice on December 22, 2015. Born on January 23, 1952, in Denver, Colorado, Leo was founder and president of the Reggio Experience: Educational Coaching and Consultation, LLC, which targets its audience to early childhood educational professionals.

He is survived by his brother, David Gerstner Ricciardi; aunt, Martha (nee Pence) Ricciardi, Godsons, Andre and Dominique Lemonnier; family friends, William Gard Meredith and Dr. Tina Garcia; and numerous relatives, friends, and colleagues. He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Leo and Carmela (nee Ricciardi) Gerstner; grandparents, Carolina (nee Losasso) and Nunzio Ricciardi and Jacob and Anna (nee Conrad) Gerstner; aunts, Florence (nee Ricciardi) Zarlengo, Josephine (nee Ricciardi) Vagnino, Kathryn (nee Schumacher) Ricciardi, and Gloria (nee Menard) Ricciardi; uncles, Anthony Ricciardi, Eugene Ricciardi, Julius Ricciardi, Henry C. Zarlengo, John Vagnino, Sr., Clem Gerstner, Simon Gerstner, and Francis Gerstner; cousins, Mary Lou Zarlengo, Carolyn (nee Ricciardi) Rawls, John Vagnino, Jr. and Anthony "Tony" Ricciardi, Jr.

Leo attended St. Dominic Grade School and Regis Jesuit High School. Additional educational credentials include an undergraduate degree from Regis University and graduate/doctoral degrees from the University of Denver, Fielding Graduate University, and the University of Colorado at Denver. His professional background included extensive experience in the educational, business, and nonprofit arenas, especially in curriculum and instruction, training and development, grant writing, grant making, project management, and library administration. He was a classroom teacher at the preschool, elementary, and secondary levels, as well as undergraduate and graduate teaching, training, supervision, and mentoring of teacher candidates and student teachers. Additionally, he held educational leadership positions, such as Principal and Assistant Principal. His experience in curriculum and staff development extends to Boeing-McDonnell Douglas and Central Bancorporation. He was in private practice as a psychotherapist working with children, adolescents, and families.

In recent years, Leo presented papers on the Reggio Emilia Early Education approach in several European cities and Asia, consulted with schools in Italy, and presented on numerous occasions for early childhood education (ECE) students, university colleagues, professional associations and organizations, and preschools. Leo also traveled and attended meetings in the USA for schools utilizing this instructional approach. He was a Nationally Certified Counselor licensed by the National Board of Certified Counselors and maintained his teaching and additional endorsements from the state of Colorado.

Leo is a 2006 and 2007 grant recipient of the Culture and Heritage Grant from the National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF). In June 2007, Leo was named the Primo Outstanding College Educator of the Year by Andiamo , Colorado's Italian Community newspaper. Additionally, during 2008 he was the recipient of the Fielding Graduate University Doctoral Research Award, and the Scholarship for Study and Training in the Lombard schools of Italy. During spring 2008, Leo conducted a workshop for second-language instructors at the Scuola Babilonia in Taormina, Sicily entitled, The Human Brain and Second-Language Learners. In that same year, he also presented a paper on language immersion schools at the annual AATI (American Association of Teachers of Italian) Conference in Giardini-Naxos, Sicily.

In May 2011, Leo presented a workshop to the biennial conference of Siena Italian Studies and the Associazione Culturale Ulisse at the International Center for Intercultural Exchange in Siena, Italy entitled, Best Practices in Intercultural Competence Development: The Reggio Emilia Approach in Developing Intercultural Competencies through Second-Language Acquisition. This was also presented at the International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI) held in Madrid, Spain in November 2011.

He contributed numerous journal articles, which focus on language immersion schools, the Italian language, the Reggio Emilia approach applied to elementary science curricula, and child development considerations in authoring second language and second culture books for children. After attaining dual citizenship with the United States and Italy, Leo wrote two bilingual/bicultural picture books, Nonno Nunzio Canta l'Opera ( Grandpa Nunzio Sings Opera ) and Cucina di Nonna Carolina (Grandma Carolina's Cucina ).

A long-time advocate for medical and mental health rights, Leo offered many years of community service as volunteer and Board Member. As co-founder and past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Liver Foundation, he and the Board of Directors were able to strategize and financially plan the development of a regional chapter. He was recognized for his accomplishments by receiving the Chapter Leadership and Development Award at the Foundation's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he served on the Board for The Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People and is past President of the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver and the Colorado Italian-American Organization (CIAO), which promote dual-language instruction in schools.

In September, 2015, Leo was awarded the Filomena J. Peloro Scholarship from the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) for post-graduate study with Fielding Graduate University. His paper entitled, Italian Identity/Italian Pride: An Autoethnographic Journey into Italian-American Culture, is a scholarly project in which he was working on at the time of his death.

A consummate educator and passionate community leader, Leo Ricciardi was a well-respected and dedicated educator and scholar. He focused on treating people well as he led with integrity, confidence, and a strategic eye toward the future. Leo's tireless devotion to his students will be his everlasting legacy. He will be sorely missed by his brother, aunt, nephew, cousins, friends, and colleagues.

A Memorial Mass for Christian Burial is being planned for January 2016.

Memorial gifts may be made in Leo's name to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/ or a charity of choice. Letters of condolences and/or memories of Leo may be sent to: David G. Ricciardi, 5614 West Ida Drive, Littleton, Colorado 80123.