I did not find any post of the 2019 death of Roland Della Santa (in a quick search on bikeforums.net).
I kept learning on other locations.
It is worth a read of Greg Lamond's comments on him ... at least it was an education for me:
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...lla-santa-dies
There should be (and probably is) a thread somewhere on bikeforums on his life and influence.
I recall my first exposure to a 'real bicycle'. My father had me out on his tandem (I was five but larger than my kindergarten teacher ... long long ago in a different world). We stopped at the nearest bicycle store ... about 10 miles from home. The owner had a bicycle with the latest Campy gear and his own modifications. It was all new to me. I recall him saying that it had 40 speeds and was valued at $4000. (A fine new top end Buick at the time was less than $3000.) My father did not offer any comment. I was never in that shop again. It was a different world. At that time one could see men on the street using square padded plywood with four swivel dollies to move down the sidewalk ... padded gloves on their hands to handle pushing on the concrete. Veterans from WWII and Korea.
Every bicyclist has someone who enabled them ... usually at a young age.