In Loving Memory Of
Gerard Lawrence Roccia, aka "Rocky"
October 17, 1952 - September 22, 2008
October 17, 1952 - September 22, 2008
The Man Behind The Logo
(Told by co-founder Daniel Seron Sr.)
Back in 1997 during a family BBQ, Rocky brought up the topic of a business we had mentioned starting, inquiring if we were going to go ahead with the plan or not. I told him we were tossing it around but were trying to decide what to call it. He asked what some of the names were we had come up with. So I mentioned "Buffalo Chips".
Unlike others, he didn’t laugh he just kind of nodded his head with a thoughtful expression. As the conversation around the table turned to laughter and joking about the connotation of "Buffalo Chips", I noticed Rocky was sketching something on a napkin. He then very subtly pushed the napkin over to me and said, "What do you think about that?" I was surprised by what I saw. There on the napkin was a sketch of an inverted tortilla chip with buffalo horns on either side of the top. I just looked at him, and he had that "Rocky look" as if to say, "There you go man". I was astonished and said something like "Rocky, I cant believe you just did that, how did you come up with that? He said, "No big deal, it just made sense."
And that was the beginning of the name and logo that stuck. I only wish I'd had the presence of mind to have kept that napkin.
To this day, we feel that Rocky’s energy and creativity lives in every bag of chips and every jar of salsa through his design. As we grow so does his presence. We love Rocky very much and are glad that he has left one of many footprints with us through his design of our logo.
Unlike others, he didn’t laugh he just kind of nodded his head with a thoughtful expression. As the conversation around the table turned to laughter and joking about the connotation of "Buffalo Chips", I noticed Rocky was sketching something on a napkin. He then very subtly pushed the napkin over to me and said, "What do you think about that?" I was surprised by what I saw. There on the napkin was a sketch of an inverted tortilla chip with buffalo horns on either side of the top. I just looked at him, and he had that "Rocky look" as if to say, "There you go man". I was astonished and said something like "Rocky, I cant believe you just did that, how did you come up with that? He said, "No big deal, it just made sense."
And that was the beginning of the name and logo that stuck. I only wish I'd had the presence of mind to have kept that napkin.
To this day, we feel that Rocky’s energy and creativity lives in every bag of chips and every jar of salsa through his design. As we grow so does his presence. We love Rocky very much and are glad that he has left one of many footprints with us through his design of our logo.
Rocky's Legacy
(Written by his daughter Tina Burden and wife Linda Roccia)
Creative, generous, funny, and an all around likeable guy are a few ways to describe Rocky. He's the genius behind the infamous Laurie's Buffalo Chips logo. The tortilla chip with horns on it, simply, started out as a sketch on a napkin so many years ago. This amusing little logo has remained the same during what has become an adventure of a lifetime for the Seron family.
One of the original hippies from Woodstock, Rocky liked to ride his motorcycle with friends, barbeque burgers with family and hang out at the beach. The New Jersey native enjoyed taking long walks in the mountains, loved listening to rock and roll music and reading Stephen King novels. He could always make us laugh with silly faces, jokes or magic tricks. He was an artist, a computer geek, a do-it-yourselfer and a clown. He loved life and people. He loved an adventure and trying new places and things. He was funny and he had a great smile. He would say he only worked for his family. He wanted the best for all of us. He didn't like it when people didn't do their best.
He was married to his wife Linda almost 25 years when, sadly, in 2008 Rocky passed away after being hit while riding his motorcycle. At his celebration service, he was characterized as “An uncle to many, a friend to all”.
Gerard “Rocky” Roccia and his vibrant love of life will remain in the hearts of many people for years to come. And although he is missed everyday, a little flicker of his imagination lives on with each of my Aunt Laurie’s Buffalo Chip products.
One of the original hippies from Woodstock, Rocky liked to ride his motorcycle with friends, barbeque burgers with family and hang out at the beach. The New Jersey native enjoyed taking long walks in the mountains, loved listening to rock and roll music and reading Stephen King novels. He could always make us laugh with silly faces, jokes or magic tricks. He was an artist, a computer geek, a do-it-yourselfer and a clown. He loved life and people. He loved an adventure and trying new places and things. He was funny and he had a great smile. He would say he only worked for his family. He wanted the best for all of us. He didn't like it when people didn't do their best.
He was married to his wife Linda almost 25 years when, sadly, in 2008 Rocky passed away after being hit while riding his motorcycle. At his celebration service, he was characterized as “An uncle to many, a friend to all”.
Gerard “Rocky” Roccia and his vibrant love of life will remain in the hearts of many people for years to come. And although he is missed everyday, a little flicker of his imagination lives on with each of my Aunt Laurie’s Buffalo Chip products.
