Monical’s Pizza tweeted their condolences yesterday upon learning of their namesake’s passing. Ralph Monical graduated from Unity High School and attended the University of Illinois. He sold his first crispy thin crust pizza in Tolono in 1959. After selling the Monical’s franchise he went on to open Zelma’s in Champaign (now closed) and Roma Ralph’s in Le Roy (now Pizzeria Roma, under new ownership.
Here’s a CI Living interview with Monical from 2013: