One more dream: honoring Pasquale Rulli
Dawn Neal is organizing this fundraiser in memory of her uncle, Pasquale Rulli.
At age 18, Pasquale Rulli crossed an ocean in search of the American dream.
He found it – and lived it – in northern Indiana for more than seven decades. It was
there that he met his beautiful bride, Mary Lou, and together they raised a family
and built a business beloved in the community for nearly 50 years. Pasquale Rulli’s
in Mishawaka is legendary not only for its pizza and pasta, but for the warmth and
charm of its founder, who had arrived from his native Italy barely speaking a word
of English but with boundless hope and a work ethic beyond compare.
After juggling two to three jobs most of his adult life, Pasquale remained a
presence at the restaurant on Division Street until early in 2024. At 92, he still
worked there every morning alongside his son, prepping for the restaurant’s 4 p.m.
opening. This is a true family business, with Pasquale’s daughter, sons,
granddaughters and other family members staffing and running the restaurant,
upholding the same high standards set by their founder. Then came the sad news of
Pasquale’s sudden passing in April, just two months after he and Mary Lou
celebrated their 70 th wedding anniversary – an event that had been noted and
celebrated by local media.
When they exchanged their vows on February 24, 1954, Holy Cross Catholic
Church in South Bend had become another home for Pasquale and Mary Lou. Like
their restaurant, Holy Cross was a center of their lives. Faith had always been
Pasquale’s guiding light, and every Sunday the words of the priest sustained and
uplifted him. But in recent years, the historic church’s aging sound system posed a
challenge. “I no hear the priest!” he would say in his endearing way.
So Pasquale had one more dream. He often told his nearest and dearest that if he
ever won the lottery, he would replace the sound system at Holy Cross. There was
no thought of himself – only the church that he cherished. Surrounded by his four
children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandkids, and his beloved wife of 70
years, Pasquale knew he was already rich. In fact, he always believed he had more
than most people, needed nothing else, and thanked God many times a day for all
that he had been given.
One more dream. Would you please help us honor this remarkable man by making
it a reality?
A short video of Pasquale in his own words