John Richard DiSTEFANO

DiSTEFANO, John Richard (Age 90) John Richard (Dick) DiStefano passed away June 13th, 2019 at the age of 90. He died peacefully in his home surrounded by his children. John was born June 4th, 1929 to Carmelo and Mary DiStefano in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended Omaha Bible Institute and then Northwestern College in Minneapolis, where he met his future bride. Upon graduation he was drafted into the US Army serving with honor as a field artillery and intelligence specialist during the Korean war. After discharge he married Frances Joyce Essick and put down roots in Spokane. Dick worked as a delivery driver for Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola and the local dairy. He then started his own construction company, 'Dicks Easy on Awnings', where he specialized in awnings, siding and decks. Later he worked as a salesman for Dye Hawley Homes, Spokane Home Center and finally for Curt Chumbly Homes in Airway Heights. Dick was a devoted husband and father and a member of the Christian community. He served as an orchestra leader and was an exceptional musician, mastering the coronet along with other horns. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, and is survived by his daughter Michele Olmstead of Bothell Washington; sons, John DiStefano of Spokane and Richard (Rick) DiStefano of Hobart Washington and fifteen grandchildren. Dick will be remembered as an honorable and honest man that treated everyone he met with deep respect. He could also always be counted on for his corny sense of humor and silly jokes.