Paul Dibala

1922 - 2016

Paul P. Dibala, 94, of Mansfield Center, CT., devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away at home with family present on November 19, 2016. Born on October 30, 1922, the eldest of seven children, and raised in lower east side Manhattan during the Great Depression, Paul had a challenging childhood. He left NYC to enlist in the U.S. Navy, serving in the Phillipines as a radio operator during World War II. While on duty in Washington, D.C., Paul met and married Nina Barger, to whom he remained steadfast and devoted during their 72 years of marriage. They settled in suburban Washington and raised two sons, Richard and Michael. Paul worked as an accountant, but his true passion was his family. Movies, road trips, avid support of his boys' athletic and academic pursuits, and serving as a role model of dedication and perseverance wove together the fabric of a rich family life. He was a self taught creative and mechanical genius, a perfectionist's perfectionist, doing his own auto repairs, designing and sewing drapes and upholstery, installing central air conditioning, and building everything from customized stereo cabinets, to grandfather clocks, to creches, to gingerbread houses. He was a charter member of The Greatest Generation, who did what had to be done. Paul loved classic old movies, little babies, 'Swing Era' music, travel, Christmas, his grandchildren, poppy seed cake, silly hand tricks, kielbasa, our world's natural wonders, and the Washington Redskins. Most of all, he loved hisfamily, and he dedicated his life to making theirs better, with his talents, his persevering leadership, and his corny sense of humor. The family will be eternally grateful for the wonderful in-home care Paul received from his dedicated caregivers and our community Hospice care team over the past months. Paul is survived by his beloved wife of 72 years, Nina Dibala, his older son, Dr. Richard Dibala and his wife, Karen, all of Mansfield Center; their children, Christina and Ryan, and Christina's son (Paul's only great grandchild), Aiden Medeiros; Paul's younger son, Michael Dibala, of Littleton, Colorado, and his children, Andrew and Kevin; Paul's only surviving sibling, his sister Joan Czizmazia, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, and her daughters, Carolyn and Joanie. He was predeceased by his parents, Paul and Mary Dibala, of New York City; five siblings, brothers Joseph, Rudolph, and William, and sisters Mary and Helen; and Michael's first wife, Pauline Keeling. A memorial service and celebration of Paul's life is planned for January 17, 2017, at 11 a.m., in the Gross Memorial Chapel of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, Ct., 06105. Memorial donations in Paul's name may be made to: Hartford HealthCare at Home, C/O Hospice Care, 34 Ledgebrook Drive, Mansfield Center, CT. 06250.