Obituary of Vincent Alfred "Al" Ruscelli

Vincent Alfred “Al” Ruscelli passed away Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at the age of 64. He is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Jeanine Klett Ruscelli and his dogs Toby, Bee, Juliet, Shadow, Heidi, and Truffles. He will be deeply missed by his father, Vincent Ruscelli; wife, Elizabeth Ruscelli; daughter Mia Ruscelli; former wife and mother of Mia, Jane Moy; brother, Roy Ruscelli; sister, Laura Alper; niece, Sophie Alper; mother-in-law, Irene Sheets; cousin-in-law, Sherry Runkle; his dogs, Annabelle and Roxy, along with many other loving friends and family members. Al was born October 6, 1957, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He graduated from La Marque High School in1976 and went on to graduate from Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree in English. Al had a very successful career working with a NASA contractor as a technical writer. He then went on to pursue his passion as a photographer by starting his own business. Using his expert photography skills, he captured beautiful memories for countless people. Mia was his greatest muse, and he left us with the gift of a beautiful photo archive of her that will be cherished forever. Any family gathering that was held, Al was there taking pictures of every special moment, including the meal. Al loved when he and Beth would have everyone together for family dinners. He was always excited to try out new recipes, as well as old family ones, to share with everyone. When Al found a new interest, he would work on it and do research until he mastered it. He enjoyed collecting cast iron cookware and cooking/baking with the pieces he collected. He would refurbish old cast iron pots and pans to look like new condition and perfected seasoning them. The perfectly staged photos of his culinary creations made the cover of a cast iron cooking Facebook group four times. When cooking, he would incorporate the vegetables he grew in his garden. Al had a great love for nature and used his skills as a photographer to document all of it. He loved to share pictures of his garden, and everything harvested from it. There was a time when he even made a beautiful time lapse of a monarch butterfly metamorphosis from caterpillars he had raised. His fascination with nature continues in his love for fishing and hunting. He spent many fun hours fishing with his daughter, niece, and good friend, Sam Maglitto. Al loved being able to go to his close friend Keith Rogers’s ranch to help him with various tasks, hunting, or just relaxing by the fire. Another hobby that was very important to Al was volunteering. He devoted many hours documenting Turning Point charity events for the participants for his great friend, David Gaston. Al wanted them all to have pictures they could reminisce and share with friends and family for years to come. Traveling was another well-loved hobby of Al’s. He especially loved his trip to Ireland with Beth and her cousin, Sherry. He loved being able to experience and document the spectacular landscapes, historical sites, and delicious Irish cuisine. The holidays were always important to Al because that meant the family would all get together. He always had fun creating Christmas magic in the front yard every year while Beth decorated the inside. His favorite yearly Christmas tradition was spending many hours with his daughter, Mia, making pizzelles to give out to family and friends. Al was also a very avid fan of Houston sports teams, including the Astros, Rockets, Texans, and the oilers before them. Al shared in his father’s enthusiasm for the University of Houston sports teams, and they attended many games together. Al was a caring son, father, brother, uncle, husband, and friend. He had an engaging personality with a keen wit and a wonderful sense of humor. He loved to tease but always in a kind way. He was a gentle and soft-spoken man who was forever considerate of the feelings of others. As a result, Al had many friends and was loved by all who came to know him. Al’s daughter, Mia, was the most important person in the world to him. He always made sure she knew just how loved she is and even in bad times would show her the many good things that the world has to offer. He also had a close bond with his parents and shared many interests with them both. Overall, Al was such a wonderful person and brought so much joy to everyone. The world lost a beautiful soul, and he will be greatly missed but never forgotten. A memorial service will be held at a later date.