Roland Mandoline

Roland (Ron) Mandoline, 90, passed away peacefully at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital on August 25, 2024.  The son of Aurelio and Agnes Mandoline, Ron was born and raised on the east side of Youngstown, and graduated from East High School.  He began his career in the steel industry as a helper at the William B. Pollock Company and attended Youngstown State University, where he studied engineering.  He then went on to serve his country in the United States Army.  Stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia, he worked as a radio operator and received a Good Conduct Medal.  After his honorable discharge as a Specialist Fourth Class (SP 4), he returned home, resumed his career in the steel industry, and began studying accounting at YSU.

Ron reached the position of Burn Shop Foreman and supervised all material preparation departments until the William B. Pollock Company ceased operations in 1983.  He then worked for Taylor-Winfield Corporation, and later for General Extrusions before his retirement.  Being somewhat of a history buff, Ron was pleased to donate some memorabilia from his days at the William B. Pollock Company to the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor.

Ron was an avid golfer and sports fan—rooting primarily for the underdogs except for the New York Yankees.  He also bowled and played softball in his younger days.  Ron loved to travel with his wife and daughter, and later, his brother-in-law, Bob.  He enjoyed long drives the most (to Florida, several years of multiple round-trips to Virginia in a day, and to Las Vegas).  He also enjoyed eating out, and attending theater productions and vocal concerts.

Ron took a great deal of pride in his Italian heritage, and his family was very important to him.  Ron’s friends and family have described him as kind, and always wanting to do what he perceived as the right thing.  He was a supportive and involved dad, driving his daughter and her friends to football games, theater practice, and the bus stop.  Education was also a point of emphasis for him, leading him to send his daughter to Villa Maria High School and then later working with other parents in an effort to save the school. 

In addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by his wife Genevieve (Jeanne) of 56 years, and his sister, Ann Facciobene, of Melbourne, Florida, as well as five brothers-in-law:    Frank Facciobene, George Caruso, Joseph (Joey) Malenic, Michael (Mickey) Malenic, and Robert (Bob) Malenic, and two sisters-in-law:  Genevieve (Gen) Malenic and Magdalene (Maggie) Malenic.  He will be greatly missed by his daughter, Jeannine Rose, and her husband Todd, of Glen Allen, Virginia.  In addition, he leaves behind a sister-in-law, Bernice (Bernie) Caruso of Cincinnati, Ohio, several nieces and nephews, and five goddaughters.

Following a private Mass at Holy Family Church presided over by Fr. John Rovnak, Ron was buried at Calvary Cemetery on August 30, 2024.  Funeral arrangements were provided by Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home.  To view this obituary or to send condolences to the family, please visit www.vaschak-kirilafh.com.

The family would like to thank the staff at Poland Village Assisted Living for their compassionate care these past few months.  Ron has requested that memorial contributions be made to The Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/.   

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