David AMATO

Family-Placed Death Notice

AMATO, David The family of David Morris Amato mourn the passing of their dear and beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was born in Jerusalem on Dec. 12, 1912. When he was five year sold, he suffered a severe injury - being hit in the back of the head by a truck on the streets of Jerusalem during the Battle of Allenby in 1917. His parents brought him to Atlanta, GA in 1921 and he was treated at "Shriner's Children's Hospital." Although his right arm remained completely paralyzed and his right leg still had a limp, he began school at the age of nine and graduated Boys High just nine years later. He graduated from George Washington University while working part time for the Department of Labor. In 1936 he married his beloved Rose - the love of his life for 72 years. After World War II he became increasingly interested in the field of rehabilitation as he knew firsthand of the challenges of the handicapped. He served as Director of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) Agency for the Handicapped until 1952. At that time he was recruited by the State Department Point Four Foreign Services Program to work with the Mexican Government and then throughout Latin America. He helped establish schools for the deaf, school for the blind, and a factory to manufacture artificial limbs. He was also highly respected as an astute Diplomat, working mainly in the American Embassy in Mexico City. He continued working and traveling beyond his 50 years of government service, organizing exchange and learning programs in his field of Rehabilitation throughout many countries. He was preceded in death by his wife Rose Amato and is survived by his daughters, Diane DeBoer and Leah (David) Franco; granddaughters, Elena Franco, Monica (Tommy) Webb, Wendy (Ted Swigart) DeBoer; grandson, Brian DeBoer; great-grandchildren, Andrew and Marissa Katz, Nicole Webb, Paloma and Sabine Swigart, and Ashok DeBoer. Sign on-line guestbook at www.edressler.com and memorial donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 N. Druid Hills Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. Graveside services will be held 3:30 PM, TODAY, Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.