Paul De Demenico

DE DOMENICO, PAULPaul De Domenico, the Rice-a-Roni Pioneer, passed away on March 14 following a valiant battle with cancer. Paul is survived by his loving wife and best friend Anita, his son Paul and wife Laurie of Santa Fe, their children: Ansley, Domenic, and Sabrina, his daughter Gina, her husband Markus Flanagan of Los Angeles, their children Leila, Isabel and Brianna. Other survivors include his sister, Christine Jackson and brother, Dr. Mark De Domenico of Seattle as well as numerous other relatives. Paul De Domenico was born in San Francisco, California on December 23, 1934 to Merrial and Pasquale De Domenico. After graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor of arts in Journalism, he served in the US Army. Upon his honorable discharge, Paul entered the family business and launched a brilliant career pioneering the notion of convenience foods and successfully co-creating and marketing Rice-a-Roni, “the San Francisco Treat.” In 1960, in her hometown of Vancouver, Canada, Paul married Anita Ludovici who left behind her promising career as a ballerina. The family corporation expanded and grew to include Ghiradelli Chocolate Co., Golden Grain Pasta Co., Vernell’s Candy Co., and others, with factories in Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago. Under his leadership, the family business expanded to Hawaii where Anita and Paul established the Hawaiian Holiday Macadamia Nut Company and stores throughout Hawaii and Asia. While in Hawaii, they started the Parker School on the Big Island. Their pride and joy was raising their two children. In his career, Paul received numerous awards and was friends to Heads of State, Foreign Ambassadors, key business leaders and politicians. Throughout his life, he was actively engaged and had a keen interest in political and current affairs. Paul and Anita moved to Santa Fe in 1989 where they quickly became involved with their community and state and made many close friends. Memorial gifts may be made to the Paul and Anita DeDomenico Fund for Cancer Research at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center, in care of the UNM Foundation, 700 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 or the Paul D. DeDomenico Business Scholarship, c/o WNMU Foundation, P. O. Box 1158, Silver City, NM 88062. Friends and family are invited to a celebration of his life which will be held on Saturday, March 30th at 2:00 p.m. For details, please call (505) 989-4760.

Paul De Demenico

December 23, 1934 - March 14, 2013