Carlo Di Maio

1939 - 2019

Carlo Di Maio died on July 31, 2019, surrounded by loving family. Professor Di Maio was the second of four sons born to Angelo Di Maio and Anna Maria Di Gennaro Di Maio of Civitavecchia, Italy. He attended schools in Santa Marinella, where mother and children resided during the war and immediate post-war years, and in Civitavecchia. In 1956 Carlo sailed for the United States. His father had been born in Chester, Pennsylvania, to Giuseppe Di Maio, an immigrant railroad worker, and Rosa Castellaccio Di Maio. When Rosa died in childbirth, Giuseppe returned to Italy with the children. Angelo retained his U.S. citizenship and was able to register his two older sons as U. S. citizens. Shortly after his arrival, Carlo joined the Air Force. Following basic training, he was deployed to Torrejón Air Base in Madrid, Spain. On active military duty from 1957-1964, he completed his final tour at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Carlo then enrolled in the Spanish program at Louisiana State University, earning the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. He was appointed Instructor of Spanish and Director of the Foreign Language Laboratory. In 1975 Carlo accepted employment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He rose through the ranks to Professor, teaching courses in Spanish, Italian, and classical mythology, and serving as Department Head from 1977-1990. Upon retirement in 1998 he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus and Department Head Emeritus of Foreign Languages in recognition of his many years of outstanding service rendered to SLU. The Republic of Italy also honored Carlo in 1983 as Knight of the Order of Merit for his outstanding service in promoting the study of the Italian language and culture in Louisiana. Carlo loved to entertain and cook Italian dishes for his friends and family. He enjoyed movies, especially the 1950s American epics he'd first viewed as a teenager in Italy and the films of Federico Fellini-the semi-autobiographical Amarcord being his favorite. Music gave him much pleasure, from classical symphonies and opera to Latin American folk music and Roman stornelli. He also treasured his books. Carlo is survived by his beloved wife, Sonnia, originally from Lima, Peru; his cherished daughter, Lara Adria Di Maio Viator, and grandsons, Ethan Ryan Viator and Jack Whitney Viator, of Rhinebeck, New York. In recent years, Carlo enjoyed the company of Sonnia's children, Sonnia, Juan Carlos, and Jorge Romero Toledo, of Peru, and their families. He is predeceased by his brother, Joseph Di Maio, and nephew, Bjorn Di Maio, of Miami, Florida, and survived by Joseph's family, Anna, John and James Di Maio. He will be missed by his brother, Francesco Di Maio, his sister-in-law, Anna, and their children, Gianpaolo and Tiziana, and his brother, Enzo Di Maio, of Civitavecchia, Italy. A visitation for Carlo will be held on Sunday, August 4, 2019 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home in Hammond. A Funeral Blessing will immediately follow visitation at 2:00 pm in the funeral home chapel. Immediately following the blessing will be a reception at St. Albert's Catholic Student Center in Hammond until 5:00 pm. As he requested, Carlo will be laid to rest in the family plot of Lara's mother, Irene Stocksieker Di Maio, in Andes, New York, overlooking the Catskill mountains. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Hammond, LA; the Crossing at Clarity Hospice, Baton Rouge, LA; or the Alzheimer's Association.