John J. DiPaola

John J DiPaola

John Joseph DiPaola died Feb 26, 2016 surrounded by his family in Stamford, Conn at age 91

John was born in Rochester, NY on Oct 29, 1924 to Angela and Anthony DiPaola He graduated from Jefferson High in 1942 and served in the US Army during World War II John graduated from RIT in 1945 with a degree in art and design He married his high school sweetheart, Lucy Sassone, in 1947, and she became his lifelong partner

John was a lifelong business entrepreneur He began as a sign painter in high school where he painted signs for Royal Crown Cola In 1947, John, his wife Lucy and brother Sam became proprietors of Little Folk Shops, an exclusive clothing store for children with five stores in Monroe County In the 1960s to 1980s, John was the president and owner of Ever Shield Corp, the area's largest home improvement and siding corporation He won numerous awards including the National Dealer Award in 1978, the nation's highest recognition by NERSICA He was vice-president of its local chapter

In the late '80's, he transitioned into commercial real estate by founding John J DiPaola Real Estate Holdings and Investments He owned and operated several major commercial properties including Ridge Dewey Square, located near Kodak Park, part of Rochester's first major shopping districts He owned and restored the Hiram Sibley Building at the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street in downtown Rochester The Hiram Sibley Building was built in 1925 by Hiram Sibley, Jr which is an exact replica of Hampton Court in England John was recognized in the local media for lovingly restoring this landmark back to its original splendor

In his retirement, John and Lucy traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America and Africa They vacationed in Mexico, the Caribbean and later owned property in Aruba They spent summers in Saratoga Springs, NY and Canada They retired to a home on Lake Ontario in Webster, NY where he lived until moving to Stamford in 2009 to be closer to his daughter and family John especially enjoyed spending time with his grandson, John, in whom he took great pride John's greatest passion was in his work and he loved his hometown of Rochester with all of his heart

John is predeceased by his brother, Samuel; and his wife, Lucy Sassone-DiPaola He is survived by his daughter, Lauren A Santoro of New Canaan; son-in-law, Gerald; grandson John Gerald; brother-in-law, Anthony Sassone of New Orleans; sister-in-law, Nancy Sassone of Webster, NY; several nieces and nephews

A funeral Mass will be held Saturday, March 5, 11:15 am at St Rita's Church in Webster, NY The family will greet friends at the church starting at 10:45 am Interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105

To share a memory of John or send a condolence to the family, visit

wwwanthonychapelscom 

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