Mario J. DiFondi

Mr. Mario J. DiFondi, age 82, formerly of Utica and currently of Rochester, passed away on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at the St. John's Nursing Home in Rochester. He was a longtime resident of Utica until 2005 when he and his wife relocated to the Rochester area to be close to their daughter, Grace. Born in Utica on August 22, 1927, Mario was the son of the late Nicholas and Gemma (Villa) DiFondi. Raised and educated locally, he was a graduate of T. R. Proctor High School. A proud veteran of the U.S. Army, he served his country at the Pentagon where he worked as a cartographer for 18 months for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was honorably discharged on September 15, 1947. On August 28, 1948 he married the former Marie D. Pagliaro with whom he shared 61 years. Mario was employed for 37 years as a tool designer at the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, the position from which he retired. He was a man blessed with a tremendous work ethic which he instilled in his children. Kind and loving by nature, he will be remembered as a mild-mannered, easy-going man, well-liked by everyone who knew him, and always with a smile on his face. He loved to eat, especially his favorite fare, “coffee and a donut”. He was a skilled woodworker who did all his own carpentry, repairs, and maintenance on his home. As a pastime, he enjoyed the sport of bowling and participated in several leagues. He was a communicant of St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Parish and most recently attended St. Joseph’s Church in Penfield, NY. Mario is survived by his wife, Marie; his daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Grace M. and Nicholas Centola of Macedon, NY; his sons and daughters-in-law, Robert J. “Bob” and Deborah A. DiFondi of Utica, and Steven and Deborah N. DiFondi of Cary, NC; his grandchildren, Robert and Tara DiFondi of Seaford, NY, Ryan and Katie DiFondi of New York, NY, Michael and Erica Centola of Webster, NY, Melissa and Matthew Kretiv of Apex, NC, Matthew DiFondi of Utica, and Jennifer DiFondi of Cary, NC; and his great-grandchildren, Taylor Marie DiFondi, Jack Valentino Centola, Carlina Rose DiFondi, and Alexander Michael Centola. Surivors also include his sisters and brother-in-law, Anna Iannone of New Hartford, and Sylvia and Jerome Dunnigan of Dayton, OH; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and in-laws, Louise DiFondi of Rome, NY, Jeanette and Mario Macera of Oriskany, and Peter and Barbara Pagliaro of New Hartford. He was predeceased by his sister, Grace DiFondi; his brother, Nicholas DiFondi; and his in-laws, Sylvia and Joseph Pagliaro, and Edward Iannone, Sr. The family offers special thanks to the staff at the St. John’s Nursing Home in Rochester for their compassionate and kind care; and the personnel at Atria Senior Living Community in Penfield, NY where Mario resided with Marie for the past two years. Visitation will be held Wednesday (today) from 4:00-7:00 at the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc. 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. For those wishing to do so, please consider memorial donations in Mario’s honor to Hildebrandt Hospice Center, 2652 Ridgeway Ave., Rochester, NY 14626; envelopes will be available at the funeral home. Mario's funeral service will commence on Thursday morning at 8:30 from the funeral home and at 9:30 at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Parish where his Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated with Military Honors. Entombment will take place in the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum at the convenience of the family.

Mario J. DiFondi

August 22, 1927 - December 20, 2009