Joseph Patrick 'Pat' DiPersio
Lieu de naissance : Sydney Mines
Date de naissance : 17 juillet 1920
Lieu de décès : Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date de décès : 6 mars 2015
It is with great sadness that we the children of Joseph Patrick 'Pat' DiPersio announce his passing on March 6, 2015 at the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alta., after a brief illness. He was blessed to have some of his family at his side at the time.
Dad was born to the late Rosario and Secondina DiPersio and spent his early years in Sydney Mines. He served his country in the air force during the Second World War, after which he married our Mom, “Lillian Julian” and started our family before moving to Toronto. It wasn’t too long before Mom and Dad both realized that their hearts were in Cape Breton so they packed up the car and headed back to where most of us (the children) spent a great deal of our childhood and adolescent years, North Sydney.
Dad worked at many different jobs over the years after returning home. Raising a family with eight children was no easy task in those days. Dad had a successful working career and was able to retire early from the general manager’s position at Ideal Ice Cream Company in Sydney. After his retirement he and mom had a house built in Sarasota, Florida, packed the car and a trailer and with the four youngest siblings headed off to start another new and exciting adventure in their lives. They spent many good years in Florida and only returned to North Sydney when Mom’s health began to fail. This was the first winter in a very long time Dad didn’t get back to Florida for a visit.
Dad was deeply rooted in his faith, he was a member of St. Joseph Church, North Sydney. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Knights of Columbus and President of the Sydney Mines Curling Club. He also enjoyed a game of Tarabish or bridge and he amazed us with how well he would do when he played them on his computer. He also enjoyed just getting behind the wheel of his Jeep to go for a drive!
Our Dad was the kind of person who could walk into a room and you could feel the energy change. His personality was such that he could keep people laughing and smiling and wondering what he would say next. He spoke and people listened. He didn’t demand respect, he earned it.
Dad is survived by his eight children, Greg (Shirley) DiPersio, Sydney, Diane (Greg) Nickerson, Okotoks, AB, Merino (Linda) DiPersio, North Sydney, Jim (Davina) DiPersio, Pugwash, Valerie (Danny) Smith, Sarasota, Michael (Angela) DiPersio, Salem, Wisconsin, Ron (Beth) DiPersio, Antioch, Illinois, Pat (Diane) DiPersio, Lindenhurst, Illinois, his 21 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his brothers Bruno (Rose) DiPersio, Barra Head, NS, Hector (Rebecca) DiPersio, Sydney Mines, his sisters Doreen Latwaitis, Sydney Mines, Ida Lyle, Sydney Mines and Sister Anne DiPersio, Halifax, and many nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Lillian (Julian) DiPersio, his brothers Merino and Hank DiPersio, his sister Mary Latwaitis and his grandson Derek DiPersio.
Visitation for Pat will be held on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in the W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant St., North Sydney. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Church, Archibald Avenue, North Sydney with Rev. Francis Cameron officiating. Burial will take place at St. Joseph Cemetery, Sydney Mines at a later date.
Memorial donations in memory of Pat may be made to The Canadian Cancer Society or the Canadian Arthritis Society. Online condolences may be made to www.wjdooley.com.
