PORT ST. LUCIE — A trifecta of coincidences caused all the stars to perfectly align and help a local hero become a new person at the age of 101.
Army veteran Richard Rossi suffered with poor dental health for many years until a chance meeting with a non-profit representative, the donation of a national grant, and a gracious dentist all came together to provide the treatment that the VA (Veteran’s Administration) refused to give him.
Richard Rossi was an engineer in the US Army serving under General Patton in both France and Germany during WW2. When his mission was over, he returned home to begin the rest of his life. Years later he realized he needed in-depth dental care. “I had missing teeth,” Rossi said. “It made me very shy, I could not smile like I wanted to, or even talk. It really affected my life, because I was a saxophone player, but I could not play anymore because you need teeth to play. Music was a big part of my life. I gave it up when I was 85 and gave it (the saxophone) to my grandson.”…