Anthony Louis DiPreta

ANTHONY "TONY" LOUIS DIPRETA, a prominent cartoonist, best known as the longtime artist of the widely syndicated comic strips Joe Palooka and later Rex Morgan, M.D., passed away peacefully surrounded by family on June 2, 2010 at the age of 88 in Greenwich. DiPreta, a Stamford native who moved to Old Greenwich 1960, started his comic book career in the 1940s drawing and coloring comic books for Quality Comics and lettering for Lymon Young's comic strip Tim Tyler's Luck. In 1945, DiPreta got his first syndicated newspaper comic strip job on Lank Leonard's Mickey Finn, which he continued through 1955, but his biggest break came in 1959, when DiPreta took over boxing strip Joe Palooka. DiPreta continued the comic strip until Joe Palooka "hung up his gloves" one last time and the strip retired to national news in 1984. Later that year, DiPreta became the successor of Rex Morgan, M.D., from which DiPreta retired in 2000, though the strip is still nationally syndicated. In November 2007, DiPreta received the Legend Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society for consistently outstanding career achievements. DiPreta was also known for many personal accomplishments. A devout Catholic, DiPreta completed five separate life-sized mosaics depicting different Patron Saints for Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in the Shippan area of Stamford, Connecticut. The mosaics took DiPreta over five years to complete. DiPreta was also well known by students who attended then Eastern Junior High School in the 1970s and 1980s as the caricature artist during "Arts Alive." DiPreta also often visited the elementary schools throughout Greenwich to draw caricatures of the students. Until recently, DiPreta drew for years the caricature of the "Fall Guy" for the annual Harpoon Club of Greenwich roast dinner and the program book cover for the annual Greenwich Old Timers awards dinner. He also drew many town logos still used today, including Greenwich Green & Clean, St. Catherine's of Sienna Church, and Friends of Island Beach. During his retirement, DiPreta spent summers in Greenwich with his wife of 48 years, Frances DiPreta, who predeceased him on September 26, 2009, visiting with his friends at the Senior Center, where he especially enjoyed taking Italian lessons. He enjoyed taking rides on the Island Beach Ferry and had fond memories of Jazz on the Sound and attending Town sponsored events such as the Wednesday night concert series. During the winters, he and his wife went to Honolulu, Hawaii, where DiPreta enjoyed landscape painting and relaxing on his lanai. DiPreta is survived by his beloved family, including his three children Janet DiPreta, M.D., a psychiatrist in Anchorage, Alaska, Edward DiPreta, M.D. (Laura), a dermatologist in St. Simons Island, Ga., and Richard DiPreta (Cynthia), a local attorney with his own Trusts and Estates Practice in Greenwich; his only grandson, Christopher, 14 months, who shares DiPreta's middle name "Louis." He is also survived by his two brothers, Joe DiPreta (Betty) of North Kingston, R.I. and Leonard DiPreta (Marilyn) of Stamford; a cousin, Joseph (Rita) Sbrizzi of Stamford; his four nieces, Leisa Bell DiPreta of Stamford, Laura DiPreta of Norwalk, Mary Beth (Brett) Whitney of North Kingston, R.I. and Nancy (James) Matas of St. Albans, Vt.; and three nephews, James (Gayle) DiPreta of Monroe, John DiPreta of Stamford, and Kenneth (Auste) Joost of Blue Bell, Pa. Along with DiPreta's artistic talent, he will be remembered for his kindness and giving nature and as a loving husband and father. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 1200 Shippan Avenue, Stamford, CT. Interment will follow in Putnam Cemetery, Parsonage Road, Greenwich. Calling hours will be held Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at Leo P. Gallagher & Sons Funeral Home, 31 Arch Street, Greenwich, Connecticut from 4 to 8 p.m.