Anthony Joseph "Tony" Diruzzo

Anthony Joseph Diruzzo, 98, of Syracuse, NY, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2026, in Wake Forest, NC surrounded by his loving family. Tony, as he was generally known, was born September 2, 1927, in Frankfort, NY, to Italian immigrants Ernesto and Edith Ruggiero Diruzzo. He was the youngest of eight children, and the beloved baby of the family.

He came from humble beginnings and lived on a small farm where his family grew strawberries and blueberries and sold them in town. He learned the ethics of hard work from a very early age.

He graduated from Proctor High School in 1945 and directly enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He was assigned to helmsman of the USS Cimarron AO22. Tony also received pilot training during his time in service and became skilled at flying planes.

In 1946 he met Joan Frances Dillon, who was the love of his life. They were married at St. John's Catholic Church on May 14, 1949, in Utica, NY.

Tony was successful in a number of various vocations in those early years, including owning a store with Joan, co-owning Wolfie's restaurant in Utica, and various insurance positions until he found his passion in real estate.

Tony enjoyed much success in the real estate business with a career that spanned over 40 years with numerous prestigious accomplishments.

He served as Vice President of Gallinger Real Estate in Syracuse from 1980-1992, and at one time he held the CRB, CRS, GRI and SRES designations. He was successful and active in all levels of the REALTOR organization, having been both a past president and Realtor of the Year for the Greater Utica Board of Realtors, the Greater Syracuse Board of Realtors, and the New York State Association of Realtors.

Tony served and chaired numerous NYSAR committees throughout his career including organization planning, budget and finance, nominations and executive, along with having been a regular attendee of the NYSAR Business Meetings.

He served as director of the National Association of Realtors and also served as NAR vice president for Region 2.

He went on to teach many seminars and appeared at colleges and conventions in his field of expertise, and also authored numerous articles and training materials for up-and-coming realtors in the industry.

Tony is survived by his loving wife, Joan, of 77 years, along with two children, Marye Diruzzo Bumbolo of Wake Forest, NC, and Robert Diruzzo (Stephanie) of Syracuse, NY, along with a very special daughter-in-law, Ann Diruzzo. He also leaves behind six grandchildren who he loved dearly - Heather Inscoe, of Wake Forest, NC, Joseph Pasick (Courtney) of Hickory, NC, Daniel Pasick (Sara), of Youngsville, NC, Holly Thomas (Nick) of Syracuse, NY, Crystal Davi (Jesse), of Creedmoor, NC, and Anthony Diruzzo (Paige) of Syracuse NY. He was blessed to know and love thirteen great grandchildren - Avery, Logan, Gabby, DJ, Blake, Amelia, Emersyn, Claire, Gwendolyn, Alec, Callahan, Robbie, and Scarlett.

He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and had a personality that touched everyone he met. He was an avid fan of Syracuse sports, and his signature drink was a brandy Manhattan. He loved to travel and go on vacations with his family and enjoyed his many "toys", such as RVs, houseboats, corvettes and other various things through the years. During his retirement he and Joan would split their time between Florida and Syracuse. Another great passion of Tony's was golfing; he and Joan belonged to Bellevue Country Club in Syracuse for decades and enjoyed golfing wherever they would travel. Tony also met several prominent professional golfers, which were stories he loved to share.

Tony was a gentleman of great esteem, and a man of integrity and hard work, who loved his family well and lived his life to the fullest. He will be dearly missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.

Memorial services will be held to celebrate Tony's life and legacy in Wake Forest, NC and Syracuse, NY. More information to follow.