George Ficocello

George had a big heart with an endless capacity to love. If you were in need of a friend, or were down on your luck, you could count on George. If you wanted a laugh or someone to play golf with, you could count on George. If you needed to feed hundreds of people with homemade sausage, you could count on George. He showed up for others every single day. Literally. He was always on the move visiting with friends and family, napping on Patsy’s couch, having steak and a cocktail at Mancini’s or a glass of wine at I Nonni. If anyone needed anything, he wanted to provide it. If a customer could no longer physically come in for a haircut, he would drive the distance for a house call. He had an unwavering love for the Lord and he lived out his faith in his deeds. 

As a young man growing up in St. Paul, George famously looked in a storefront window and told a buddy of his, “I’m going to marry that girl” upon seeing beautiful Dorthy Ann at her father’s barber shop. Fast forward a few years, he agreed to go on a blind date with a girl who had just left the convent. That girl was Dorthy and the rest was history. That ease, spirit, and magic flowed through George his entire life. There were trials and tribulations, but he always found a way to out love and out laugh any of the hard times. 

Family was everything to George, which made saying goodbye to his beloved wife Dorthy and his brothers Pat, Jerry, Ricky, and Bill excruciating. He loved and cherished his little sister Cindy, and Dorthy’s family was truly George’s family, too. George was endlessly proud of his three daughters Leah, Dina, and Maria and loved their husbands John, David, and Steve like sons. His love for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren was immense and they were at the top of his mind every day and he prayed for them each night as evidenced by a prayer list he kept in his bible next to his bed.

George was a skilled golfer and was a member and fixture at Indian Hills starting in the 70s. He worked as a barber alongside his brother Bill for decades from Kellogg Square to Galtier Plaza, then to his chair in Mendota Heights, where he was still working, because he always enjoyed his work and cared about the people he served. 

Not just the life of the party, George was the party, and a karaoke party was his favorite kind. George always loved singing and sang in the “Other Group” at St. Michaels in the 80s and 90s. Later he began singing karaoke, first at Mancini’s, and then anywhere there was a microphone and a track, you would hear him singing Elvis songs. In fact, the day after he passed he was scheduled to bring some joy to a nursing home by singing as “the king” in his fabulous Elvis costume.

So please take a moment to raise a glass to George and hear the voice of Elvis (or George as Elvis) in your head singing: “Now the stage is bare and I’m standing there, with emptiness all around. And if you won’t come back to me, then they can bring the curtain down. Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again? Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?”

Yes, we will never stop missing you, George, and indeed will be lonesome tonight.

Mass of Christian Burial Friday, October 4, 2024, 10:00 A.M. at Church of the Assumption, 51 West 7th Street, St Paul with visitation one hour prior to the Mass at the church. A celebration of life will follow the service at Mancini's, 531 W. 7th Street, St. Paul from 11:30AM - 2:30 PM.