Eliseo DiRusso

Eliseo “El” DiRusso passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, at the age of 87. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Youngstown, Ohio to Italian immigrant parents. He grew up surrounded by the values of hard work, perseverance, and family loyalty.

From an early age, El was curious about how things worked. In high school, he had a job at an auto body shop, where he learned to repair cars and developed a lifelong appreciation for building and fixing things.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Youngstown College (now Youngstown State University) and went on to spend most of his career as an engineer at NASA’s Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, where he conducted research on aerospace propulsion systems.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed owning Chevrolet cars and trucks and took pride in maintaining them himself. He especially enjoyed the problem-solving involved in routine maintenance and repairs, whether working on cars or fixing things around the house.

El and his wife, Kathleen (“Kathy”), shared 48 years of marriage before her passing two years ago. They met through a Catholic singles group in Cleveland in the mid-1970s. While they were dating, he taught her how to ski, and it quickly became something they both loved. They went on to introduce their children to skiing at a young age.

For many years, the family skied regularly at Holiday Valley Ski Resort in western New York, where they built lasting memories with close family friends.

El retired in his 50s and moved with Kathy to Colorado, where they spent decades enjoying the outdoor life they loved—skiing, hiking, and bicycling in the Rocky Mountains and surrounding foothills.

In 2008, El received a liver transplant that gave him an additional eighteen years with his family—a gift that was especially meaningful because it allowed him to know his four grandchildren and to care for his wife in her later years. El’s family remains deeply grateful for the generosity of the organ donor and his family.

El was a calm, steady, and thoughtful man with a quiet ability to understand people. His advice was always helpful and was offered only when asked. He valued family and showed his love through thoughtful guidance and by being there when it mattered. He believed in fixing what could be fixed, living simply, caring for what you had, and spending time with those you love.

He is survived by his children, Lori DiRusso and Joseph DiRusso (Jovanna); his grandchildren, Oliver, Madeline, Henry, and Lucy; and his nephew, Gene DiRusso (Gretchen).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen; his parents, Tullio and Maria DiRusso; and his brothers, Achille DiRusso and Elio DiRusso.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Golden, Colorado, at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026. A reception will follow.

Memorial donations in El’s memory may be made to Donor Alliance in support of organ and tissue donation (https://www.donoralliance.org/contribute) or to the Jefferson County Public Library (https://www.coloradogives.org/JeffCoLibrary).