Obituary of Loreto DiBona

Loreto “Larry” DiBona, a stone craftsman, passed away after a short illness at the Winchester Nursing Center on Monday morning, November 8, 2010, at 94. Larry was born and raised in San Donato, Italy, one of 11 children. He was a veteran of the Italian Army during World War II. After the war he returned to his home town and resumed his work as a stone craftsman. He took great pride in his craft and would occasionally visit and inspect his previous projects. In 1952, he married his wife, Antoinetta, in Italy and started their new life together in the United States. They settled in Newton, and began a family. He took great pride in providing for his wife and sons. He was a proud grandfather and pleased to see his family’s success. Larry was the beloved husband of 58 years to Antoinetta (Tramontozzi) DiBona. He was the loving father of Joseph & his wife Jeanne, and Richard & his wife Marie, all of Burlington. He was the proud grandfather of Christina, Jeffrey, Anthony, Stephanie & Tracy. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St. BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday, November 11 at 10:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 11:30 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Family Remembrance by Rich Thank you all for being here and remembering my father. I’d like to say a few words and share a few thoughts with you. We’ve all come to know him in different ways, and I hope to tell you a little story to take with you today. Let me start by saying he got to be 94, he crossed the finish line, he won the race, and he did it his way! He represents the end of a generation. A generation that wasn’t familiar with the phrase “politically correct”. If you asked for his opinion, you got it. Otherwise, why would you ask? Sometimes you even got it if you didn’t ask. And most times if you gave it some thought, you’d realize he had a point, and was right. 94 years is a long time, and to put that in perspective, think about the technology we have today – none of that existed when he was growing up in San Donato. Technology then was whatever you were able to do with your hands, your head and your heart. He chose to work with brick, stone and plaster; it defined him and he made it his purpose in life. His ability to work with stone provided him with a way to make a living. I don’t think he ever saw it as a way to make money. Instead, he used it as a way of helping people. He would work long hours and then go out and help his friends on nights and weekends. He didn’t send bills. He just helped. Many of these people found ways to return the favor by either doing things for him, or bringing him things. The most common thing was wine – home made wine. I remember being around for these deliveries, and dad telling me or my brother what to do with the wine. Today, I know that wines are classified as reds or whites. Back then he had a different way; it was “meta jema” and “port a terra”, upstairs and downstairs. I knew that the upstairs wine was either served with dinner or used for cooking, but I wasn’t sure about the wine that went downstairs. One day I asked about the downstairs wine and I got a bit of a surprise. He told me you can’t drink that stuff, I use it to clean the rust off my tools. Many of you know he had a playful side and an incredible sense of humor. I will always remember that humor and I hope he’s drinking the upstairs wine today. In addition to his work, his true love was for his family and friends. His generation did not openly display love – but it was there. He loved my mother, the entire family, and he especially loved his 5 grand children. He would light up whenever they were around him– at birthday parties, holidays, cookouts, whatever. You could see it in his face, and you knew it in the way he treated them. They were his treasures. As we leave here today, I want you to remember 3 things: his sense of purpose his love of family and his sense of humor I think that’s what he would want, and I certainly do too. Thank you and god bless you all