Mark S. D'Arpino

Mark Darpino was born on March 15, 1953 in Mt.Vernon NY.
He was the fourth child of Alice and Pat Darpino. Mark grew up with a love of restaurants, working for Dolly's Restaurant in New York as a teenager. He worked there as a teenager until his family relocated to Florida in 1972.
In 1972 he adjusted to relocating to Florida. He would eventually meet Mary Ann Carlisi, picking her up while she was hitchhiking of all things on the freeway in Orlando. He would drive her all the way to a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young concert in Tampa that night. He was unable to reach her, but was able to reach her the next day and spent the day at Disney world.
Mark spent the next 46 years married to Mary Ann, highlighted by the opening/operating of D'Arpino's Italian Cafe, for 14 years in Springfield, MO.
Mark spent the last two years of his life as a widower, missing his wife who he loved dearly. He had also struggled with other health concerns. He suffered from Congestive Heart Failure, Kidney Failure, and Sciatica Pain to name a few. Mark was deeply grateful for the care/support he received from Home Instead, namely Siri, Missy, and Dayna. These women cared for Mark nearly every day for the last two years of his life.
Mark's legacy will be his impact on the culinary scene in Springfield and his love of his family. He brought his family recipe for his Marinara to Springfield, which is carried on to this day at Piccolo, his son, Steve's restaurant. Piccolo is the continuation of the legacy started at D'Arpino's Italian Cafe. Steve opened Piccolo in 2016, while D'Arpino's was still open, as a tribute/ honor to Mark and Mary Ann and what they started.
If you knew Mark at all, you knew the other love in his life, besides his family and restaurant, was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mark had grown up a NY Jets fan, but quickly took to the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs in the 70's. Mark was as big a Tampa Bay fan as you could find, and both the 2002 and 2020 Buccaneers teams that won the Super Bowl title were proud and exciting moments he celebrated.
Above all else, Mark was a beloved Father, Husband, Son, Brother, Uncle, and Grandfather. He greatly missed his wife the last two years of his life, but still had his incredible sense of humor until the end. He loved his grandchildren immensely, one of his favorite things in life was taking them to Chuck E Cheese when they were younger.
Mark is survived by his children Steve (Cassie) D'Arpino, Jessica (Jesse) Walker, 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Rescue One and 4theloveofk9s.com.