Douglas B. DiRienzo

Douglas B. DiRienzo passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.
He was born in Youngstown, Ohio on October 14, 1960, to Ben and Peg DiRienzo. Growing up, Doug excelled at sports, playing baseball and football at Austintown Fitch High School and learning to play golf from his dad. After graduating high school in 1979, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in Animal Science in 1984 and earned Master's (1987) and PhD degrees (1990) from Virginia Tech University. He did postdoctoral studies at Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama and then joined the National Dairy Council in Chicago, where he was promoted to Senior Vice President before retiring in 2013.
Doug and his wife, Maureen, retired to Hendersonville, North Carolina where they built their dream mountain home and were involved in their church and other local activities. Doug was an Elder at Hendersonville Presbyterian Church where he managed the facilities and oversaw recent renovations.
Doug, with Maureen, enjoyed spending time with family and leading active lives, which included travel, hiking, working in their garden, and always having a home improvement project. Doug especially enjoyed golfing with his buddies at the Hendersonville Country Club.
Doug is survived by his wife, Maureen; son, Patrick; daughter in law, Nisan; and two young grandchildren, Aurelia and Atlas. His sister and brother, Cindy and Dave, their spouses, children and grandchildren also survive him.
A celebration of Doug's life will be held at Hendersonville Presbyterian Church later this year.