Ralph "Ben" Anthony Cianflone

Ralph Anthony Cianflone, known to everyone who loved him as Ben, passed away in Stuart, Florida on November 7, 2026 following lung failure.

Born on October 15, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York to Gabriel Cianflone and Josephine Valenti, Ben spent his life making sure the people around him were happy. In 1959, Ben married his beloved Audrey, and together they raised two children. He worked as many as three jobs at once to support his family, driving a truck through Brooklyn and Manhattan, driving car service throughout Brooklyn, and later spending more than 20 years as an oil burner and boiler technician. He was proud of the people he worked with, including Ralph Russo, and was always a phone call away from them.

Totally unselfish, he did anything and everything for his children. Ben was kind and considerate to a fault. He would help anyone, laughed at everyone's jokes, and was always, always happy. Whenever someone visited, he raised a glass to celebrate life. And boy, did he have a great head of hair! He held his nieces and nephews high and always wanted to know what was going on in their lives.

He loved his Yankees, his Giants, and whatever team his son played on. He enjoyed cruises with Audrey and friends from Brooklyn and Leisure Village, card games like May I and Poker, and if anyone said casino, Ben made time for that too. An incredible pool player, he once beat the local legend known as Uncle Ben and earned the name himself. He could run 53 balls without taking a difficult shot, which made us wonder if he was really as blind as he claimed. His blindness kept him from seeing, but his memories filled him with contentment, especially around a table, whether at a diner, a friend's house, or best of all, his own.

He gave his beloved 1965 Chevy to his son....the Chevy was driven to Florida (1200 miles) last year so Ben could drive it (with guidance) throughout his development....and he wants everyone to know, after 30 years of not driving stick shift, he didn't stall once!!

Ben loved going to church. Through the Knights of Columbus in Brooklyn, he met his best friend, John Donnelly; the Donnelly's and Cianflone's became family, sharing holidays, vacations, and raising of their children. In Florida, he loved the clubhouse at Leisure Village and joined in all its activities. His Leisure Village family truly loved Ben....everyone there was always willing to help Ben get around....James, his adopted son.....the Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania crew & Jim!

Ben is survived by his wife, Audrey; his daughter, Audrey "Cookie"; his son, Ralph; his grandchildren, Constantine, Katherine, Nichole, Ben, Christian & Mason, whom he always asked about in detail; and his great-grandchildren, Penelope, Gus, Leon, and Amelia. 

He was predeceased by his parents; his son- in-law, Gus; and, his brothers, Nick, Frank, and Angelo.

We will celebrate Ralph's (Ben) life in, both, Florida and New Jersey. We invite you to join us at either, or both, locations.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Andrew's Catholic Church on Friday, November 20th at 11:00 a.m. (2100 SE Cove Road, Stuart FL 34997). A Luncheon at Leisure Village Club House will directly follow the Mass.

A second Funeral Mass will be held at the Church of Saint Dominic on Saturday, December 12th at 10:00 a.m. (250 Old Squan Road. Brick, NJ 08724)

A man of deep faith, Ben now rests in the peace of the Lord he so faithfully loved. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation in Ben's Memory to The Saint Jude Foundation at 501 St Jude Place Memphis TN 38105 https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now