Frank DiGirolamo of Oakdale dies at 84

Described as a dedicated family man, Frank DiGirolamo was a quiet yet humorous character who took care of his relatives and remained active until his death Thursday at 84.

"He was always very happy to help out with everything," said DiGirolamo's grandson, Frank DiGirolamo, 25, of Bohemia. "If you wanted to have a good laugh, he was the person to talk to."

DiGirolamo died Thursday at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center of complications from pneumonia.

A native of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, DiGirolamo spent his early years and attended high school there, his family said.

After graduation, he was drafted into the Army and spent a year serving in Japan, his family said. DiGirolamo was discharged in 1946 and returned to New York, where he worked as an auto mechanic.

DiGirolamo later worked as a wallpaper hanger, his family said. He remained in that profession until he retired in 1989.

DiGirolamo moved to Oakdale in 1956 and remained there with his wife of 61 years, Martha DiGirolamo, raising their two sons. DiGirolamo's family said he enjoyed bowling and playing poker with friends.

As his children grew, family members said DiGirolamo spent much of his time with his grandchildren. "He would always take us sleigh riding and to feed the ducks at Byron Lake Park," said DiGirolamo's granddaughter, Nicole Parise, 35, of Oakdale.

Parise also said DiGirolamo enjoyed gardening. "He loved planting and picking string beans, zucchini and tomatoes," she said.

Thursday, DiGirolamo's family members gathered at his house to remember him.

"I'm going to miss his jokes and how funny he was," Parise said.

He is survived by his wife; two sons, Joseph DiGirolamo, 59, of Deer Park, and Frank DiGirolamo Jr., 57, of Bohemia; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

A wake will be Sunday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Raynor & D'Andrea, 245 Main St., West Sayville. A funeral Mass will be Monday at 10 a.m. at St. John Nepomucene, 1140 Locust Ave., Bohemia. A burial at the church cemetery will follow.