Joseph Diaco

Giuseppe Joseph Diaco (77), of White Plains, New York, passed away on April 29, 2024.
Giuseppe fondly known as Joe was born to Pasquale and Filomena Diaco, on February 11, 1947 in Pietrapaola, Italy.
He was a man of many talents and passion which ranged from cooking, foraging, fishing, gardening, playing cards, and teaching anyone about anything. After working at a pizzeria and then becoming a chef he enjoyed sharing his knowledge of the old ways when it came to the outdoors.
Joe is survived by his wife Lina and four children, Pasquale,(Michelle), Filomena, Carmelina,(Frank), and Domenico, along with his five grandchildren, Dominique, Joey, Vincenzo, Giuliana, and Francesca.
Joe held many titles in his life as a master chef, to a skillful fisherman, to expert hunter/forager, to a proficient gardener, but his favorite role was that of a teacher giving back and being able to help anyone when he could. If he knew a way to make things simpler he wouldn't hesitate to share, just when you think something was impossible Joe always seemed to have a plan, and if that didn't quite workout you could bet he had a card up his sleeve to solve the problem. His love of gardening seemed almost unparalleled which positively impacted friends and family, and even the community with a lot of neighbors picking up gardening after seeing and learning from him. He would always share a plant he grew whether a flower or vegetable with anyone who was interested. During family events, if there was a deck of cards in arm's reach you could guarantee you'd hear "pick a card." Joe showed great delight when someone participated in one of his card tricks or one of his many riddles. The season of summer meant it was time for him to grab his tackle box and rods and head out to fish. If it was your first time fishing you'd go home as a master angler by the end of the day because he would teach you the Joe Diaco way of fishing which would guarantee a catch. In fall wild mushrooms without fail was on his radar and his foraging always seemed active, simply driving in a car he could spot a mushroom at a base of tree easily a 100 yards out, and every car ride he would share what trees were known for growing mushrooms. Most of his joy you could see came when he spent time with his grandchildren, showing and teaching them skills that almost appears to be lost in today's age, you knew he wanted to make sure they were equipped with knowledge that was hard to obtain. His upbeat personality and arsenal of jokes and stories always made sharing time with him a delightful experience, and that's what will be missed the most.