S. Mario DeBOLE

DeBOLE - S. Mario
Of Grand Island, formerly of Newman, GA, died on October 15, 2022. Mario was born in Batavia to Mario DeBole and Belle Gervase and is survived by his sister Phyllis (Robert) Holway. He was raised in Geneseo, NY. He graduated from Geneseo Central High School in 1950 and in 1953 he received a B.A. Degree from SUNY Geneseo. From 1953-1955 Mario served in the U.S. Army at Fort Devans, Mass where he developed an Educational Achievement Program for illiterate career soldiers. For this he was awarded the First Amy Citation. In 1957 Mario graduated from Penn State University with a MS in Audiology. Prior to accepting his position as Director of Audiology at the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center, Mario spent two months in Chile, SA as a representative for the Genesee Co. "Experiment in International Living." In 1959, Mario accepted a position as Administrative Director at the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center. In this capacity, he held appointments in the Allied Medical Staff at Sisters Hospital and served as Chief of Audiology at both ECMC and Buffalo General Hospital. Mario was also appointed Adjunct Professor of Audiology at Buffalo State College and served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at University of Buffalo, School of Medicine. Mario was co-founder of Industrial Hearing Conservation Corp. and Audiological Biomedical and Educational Instruments Co. and pioneered in the establishment of audiological practice in Western New York. In 1995, he retired from his position as Director of the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center to establish his private practice "Audiology Service Associates." His dedication to helping individuals reach their full potential manifested not only in his work but also at home where he and his wife Elizabeth raised five children, Mark (Tammy) DeBole, Nancy DeBole, John (Melissa) DeBole, Carolyn (Douglas) Sykes and Thomas (Nikki) DeBole. He and his wife of 58 years enjoyed traveling, cooking and visiting their 21 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday at 9:30 AM at St. Stephen's Church, 2100 Baseline Rd., Grand Island. Share condolences at kaiserfuneral.com.