Enrico DiPaolo
July 6, 1932 – August 15, 2023
Enrico DiPaolo, 91, died on August 15, 2023. He was born on July 6, 1932, to deceased Italian immigrant parents, Vincenzo DiPaolo and Adelina Franciosi DiPaolo, and is preceded in death by his brother Antonio (Dip) DiPaolo, his sister Loretta D. Tretola, and his brother Domenico DiPaolo, who died in infancy. He is survived by his loving wife, Rose Childress DiPaolo of Richmond, VA; his son, Derek “Bubba” DiPaolo (Felicia) of Richmond, VA; and his estranged daughter, Cynthia D. Hassenpflug. He is also survived by his two grandsons, D. Hunter DiPaolo (Katherine) of Kenbridge, VA, and Parker R. DiPaolo of Washington, D.C., and his granddaughter, Lauren Schuppert Dunn of Richmond, VA, as well as his great-grandchildren Adelina Ann DiPaolo and Nico Dunnivant DiPaolo of Kenbridge, VA.
Rico was a native of and grew up in Olde Towne Historical District, Portsmouth, VA and a 1951 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, VA. He was a member of the old Portsmouth Boat Club, and as a teenager he built his own Penguin Class sailing dinghy and competed in many sailing regattas on the lower bay. His working career began in 1951 with the Seaboard Airline Railroad, now part of CSX, in Portsmouth, VA, and shortly thereafter in the Traffic Dept. of the Norfolk office. In 1958, he moved to Richmond, VA, when the railroad relocated. In 1967, the Seaboard merged with the Atlantic Coast Line RR, now part of CSX, and both home offices were relocated to Jacksonville, FL. Rico left the railroad and accepted a position in the former transportation division of the US General Accounting office in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position at the Defense General Supply Center, Traffic Mgmt. Branch in Richmond, VA. Rico retired in 1993 after an outstanding career and was awarded the Distinguished Career Service Medal. He moved to Port Haywood, Mathews County, VA, and enjoyed the easy pace of rural life, fishing, crabbing, clamming, and boating. In 2003, he returned to Richmond, VA. Rico was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and canoeing. At age 75, he hiked a 9-mile round trip to the highest elevation point in Virginia, Mt. Rodgers, elevation 5729 feet in Grayson County. He served in the Eighth Army, 60th Ordinance Group during the Korean War. He was a member of American Legion Post 244, Glen Allen, VA, and the Massanutten Hunting Club of Elkton, VA.
Rico always rooted for the underdog and the downtrodden. He had a passionate love of all things nautical, and the sailing team in heaven is moving up a notch. Sail on!
Per his request, there will be no memorial service. His ashes will be privately scattered on an incoming tide at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Boys Town, 200 Flanagan Blvd., PO BOX 6000, Boys Town, NE 68010-9988, or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Love & prayers!
Prayers for the DiPaolo family!
May God’s Grace be with Rose and the DiPaolo Family! I Love You Rose…
Dear Aunt Rose,
Words cannot express the sadness Lisa & I felt after learning of Uncle Rico’s passing.
I’ll always remember him as the kind and gentle man that he was.
I’ll always carry the fond memories of you and Rico at the many Thanksgiving dinners we had at the DiPaolo’s in Portsmouth, the good times we all spent at ‘The Shack’ the time he took us to see how people dipped for herring.
The look on his face, I could see that he was amazed at how easy it was to catch fish that way.
Lisa & I will keep you, Bubba and the extended DiPaolo family in our thoughts and prayers in your time of sorrow.
God bless you Uncle Rico.
Thoughts and prayers to Rose and family.
He will be missed
John and I are so saddened that we have lost a wonderful “back fence” friend and neighbor..as well as the perdon who kept up in reading materials for so many years and patrolled the neighborhood in that little red truck to ensure all was well. It won’t be the same to look out our kitchen window and not see him picking up the pine cones that fell during the night, or hearing the sound of his blower tidying up the yard he loved so well, watching him as he napped on his beloved back porch, or his tale of the squirrel he relocated from his yard (loll). Know we are always here for you Rose, and children. We love you and know that Rico is resting in peace with “ole Duke”, his friend down the street, remembering all the projects they shared together. But thankful we still have you as our “back fence” neighbor. Know we are here when/if you need us. All you have to do is “ringaling” and we will be there Love you.
Just heard the sad news. Rico was a good man. Growing up he took bubba and I on all kinds of adventures. My prayers go out to Rose, who treated me like one of her own and the entire family 🙏
My sympathy to the family in the passing of Ricco. Thank you for being such a special friend to my uncle. Otis Duke, who lived down the street. I’m sure they will be finding things to do together in heaven. May God walk with you and the family during these days and uphold you in your time of grief.
There are no words that can be said that can express the sorrow of losing someone you love. Gerald and I are so sorry to hear about Rico’s passing. I love you, Sis. ,,,,,,,,,,Mary Ellen