Obituary of Anthony "Tony" Di Paolo

Tony Di Paolo, 84, of Rome, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at Rome Memorial Hospital. Tony was born in Introdacqua, Italy on October 27, 1933 son of the late Federico "Fred" and Maria Faiella Di Paolo. Tony came to Rome, NY in 1946. He joined the US Air Force in 1951 serving in the Entertainment Unit and Civil Engineering at Sampson Air Force Base, Geneva, NY Flight #3650 & then was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. He married Beverly Drake from Elmira, NY on June 29th, 1957. They recently celebrated 61 years together. Tony worked at Griffiss Air Force Base as a Master Electrician were he retired in 1987 with over 30 years of service; he was also a well-known icon in the entertainment industry working mostly at the Capitol Theatre, West Rome Drive-In and the original Rome Cinema. Tony also worked on the motion picture, The Sterile Cuckoo in 1969. He received a Veteran RFA Diploma in 2014 and was a 2018 Rome Arts Hall of Fame Inductee. Tony was a member and an executive board member of the Motion Picture and Stagecraft Union and St. John the Baptist Church. He was a big fan of the Lawrence Welk Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Country and Bluegrass Music. Tony was a member of the DAV, Rome American Legion and the Sampson AFB Veterans Association. He loved to make his friends and family laugh with a quick joke or story. Tony is survived by his wife Beverly, his children; Fred and Cris (Enos) Di Paolo, Myrtle Beach , SC, Antonio and MaryKay (Pisaneschi) DiPaolo, Marianna and (Ralph) Vacca, and William "Bill" Di Paolo all of Rome, ten grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren, a sister and brother-in-law ,Theresa and John Krogh, Hermiston, OR, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his infant daughter. Tony's family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Mohammed Seedat and the Rome Memorial Hospital Staff, especially the 2 North Med Unit, for their care and compassion shown to Tony during his illness. Also, a very special thank you to the Rome Veterans Association and staff at the Griffiss VA Hospital for all their assistance and care of Tony over the years. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at 9:45 a.m., from the Nicholas J. Bush Funeral Home, Inc., 7751 Merrick Rd., and at St. John the Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m., with the Rev. Abe Esper officiating. Burial will be in St. John the Baptist Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday, August 3, 2018 from 4-7 p.m. Memorial contributions in Tony's Memory may be made to: Rome Memorial Hospital Foundation, 155 West Dominick Street, Rome, NY 13440. To offer online condolences, please visit www.njbushfuneralhome.com