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Louis DiDonna Obituary
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A veteran of the United States Air Force, Louis' time in the military was cut short by a car accident in 1971 that left him paralyzed. He was an avid participant in wheelchair sports, especially wheelchair rugby and track and field. He regularly competed in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games where he never left without medaling in multiple events.
Professionally, he dedicated his life's work to helping other paralyzed veterans. Louis worked for Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA) in their member outreach and pharmacy departments, helping others navigate the day-to-day complexities specific to those with spinal cord injuries.
Louis is survived by his sisters Margaret and Maria, son, Vincent, and his granddaughters Eloise and Josephine, who were the lights of his life.
A memorial mass will be held for Louis at Blessed Sacrament Church on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, who heroically provide the necessary resources to disabled service men and women, and their families.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
Anthony V. Gentile
November 3, 2024
My condolences to Vincent and all the DiDonnas, and to all his family members and to those who knew Louis or loved him. In no particular order, the things I remember about my "Cousin Louie" (who was the closest thing I had to an older brother growing up) are: how he was like the "Mayor" of Red Hook, meaning he knew everybody and everybody knew him; his social club on Smith Street; going to his father´s salumeria on Court Street after school; the cast of "characters" who were his friends - Louie and all of them always had a crazy or funny story to tell; his sense of humor, his positive attitude, and his ability to find laughter in so many things in life, both large and small; driving around the neighborhood and other parts of Brooklyn in his beloved Buick Riviera with the torpedo rear window; him teaching me how to drive; his fighting fish, and his birds (including the parakeet he used to prank); Sunday and holiday dinners at his house on Union Street; watching weekly TV shows such as "Land of the Giants"; his backyard and the vegetables his father grew there; how proud he was of his son and granddaughters, and how much he loved them; long evenings just hanging out on the stoop in front of his house; his love for classic 70s rock; the wacky posters and pictures on his wall, and the clever stickers on his dashboard; going to Mazzola´s late at night for fresh Italian bread handed out the back door by a friendly baker; going to nightclubs, on occasion, where he was always quite the "people magnet"; watching him compete in his athletic competitions, including the event hosted by Bo Derek; the summer block parties on Union Street; his commitment to his brother veterans; the fireworks celebrations on July 4th; and going to the monster truck show once at MSG. I can probably think of a hundred more things if I tried. He was unique and will be missed. Though it´s sad he has passed, I hope and pray that he´s at peace in paradise and now walking tall.
Anthony Gentile
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28 Eltingville Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10312
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