Joseph DiBartolo

DANVERS -Joseph DiBartolo of Danvers, formerly of Wakefield, was born on September 1, 1926 in Gela, Sicily. At the age of 17, during the World War II invasion of Sicily, he miraculously survived an explosion which killed his friend sitting right next to him. At the age of 19, after the war ended, he came to the United States with his family. He joined the Army in 1948 and served 15 months with the occupation forces in Japan and 10 months in Korea. His time in Korea took him from the invasion of Inchon to the Manchurian border. He took part in 5 major campaigns and rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant. He is a Disabled Veteran and a member of the American Legion.

Joseph attended Northeastern University on the GI bill and received his degrees in Electronics Engineering and Business Administration in Engineering. He worked for 40 years at MIT Lincoln Laboratory where he participated in a four-year study of phased array radar, a concept in its infancy at the time. This work included designing and developing a sixteen elements linear phased array. As a manager of the implemented project, Joe was responsible for demonstrating the first operational phased array radar to the major electronics companies.

He also participated in the development of a collision avoidance system that prevents mid-air airplane collisions. The concept was originally developed by another company however they were not able to achieve a reliable system. Joe worked with another electronics company and resolved the problem by introducing a new concept for a switchable microwave attenuator. Together with software engineers, they built a system that worked. It is still being used by all commercial airlines today and continues to save lives every day. During his time at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Joe solved many complex engineering problems and coauthored several papers on his work.

At home, Joe was a master of all trades. Guided by his chronic back pain, he invented a device that gently stretches the spine to relieve the pain. His talents included everything from building cabinets and furniture to fixing broken appliances and cars. His skills as an engineer were unmatched and he was always on hand to fix, restore, invent, and renovate as needed. In his spare time, he was a veracious reader and researcher, an author, a self-taught musician and a songwriter. He enjoyed time with his family, travelling, and has traveled throughout the United States, Europe and South America.

Joe was the husband of the late Victoria Mattei. He is survived by his partner Maureen LaPointe and his three daughters Tina Boydston, Laura Dantowitz and Elaine Griffin and their husbands, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. He was also the father of the late Linda Curran.

ARRANGEMENTS: At the request of the family all services were private. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations, 167 Maple St., (Rte. 62) DANVERs. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.