Jack DiCara

After several years of declining health, Jack DiCara passed away on March 27, 2018 leaving behind his wife, Margie, and family of four daughters, 15 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Jack lived

a full and rewarding life of 93 years, spanning the Great Depression, World War II, and afterward building a family and business, enjoying friendships and travel, and finally settling into a slower-paced retirement.

Most recently, Jack could be found on warm, sunny days sitting in front of his house enjoying passers-by and the bustle of a busy neighborhood. With a hello and a smile, Jack endeared himself to his neighbors from whom he never failed to elicit a smile or laugh. He earned this luxury after decades of hard work as a cabinetmaker.

Jack always lived up to his responsibility to family, be it the one he grew out of or the one he grew. Providing his daughters with guidance throughout their lives in his own inimitable style, he encouraged them to be independent women with college educations, successful careers, and families of their own.

As with many children of the Depression, Jack’s rite of passage into adulthood came through work and service. From a young age, Jack found great satisfaction in earning his own way in the world. His family depended on him to help with the family business, devoting long hours during growing season to the success of the family farm in Pennsylvania. His children have wonderful memories of their time on “the farm.” When that part of his life ended, he began his own cabinetmaking business. Always a creative and talented craftsman, Jack enjoyed success in his business until retirement.

Jack maintained life-long memories of his service in the Marine Corps during World War II, where he served in the Pacific Theater. Ever a proud Marine, he reconnected with his Marine buddies after 50 years and thereafter looked forward to their annual reunions. At their final reunion, Jack was accompanied by his wife, children and grandchildren to enjoy a weekend of closing ceremonies, celebration, and sightseeing in Nashville, Tennessee.

Margie, his wife of nearly 70 years was, without a doubt, the highlight of his life. Sustaining a union based on deep and everlasting love, Margie devoted her marriage to making a warm and welcoming home for Jack. She alone tolerated his penchant for collecting things be they tools, animals, or people. She, in addition to those who met him, appreciated his ability to make friends and keep them laughing. His sense of humor is the first thing that people remember about him. Everyone has a story to relay that still keeps them laughing.

Family and friends will remember Jack as one who lived life large. He will be missed by his wife, Margie; his daughters and their husbands, Rose and Frank, Johanna, Jacqueline and Tom, Margaret Anne and Willie; his grandchildren, Mary Louise and Eli, Margaret, Stephen and Serena, Michelle and Adam, Stephanie and Wes, Robert, Jonathan, Matthew, Jack and Valeria, Daniel, Krystyna, Peter, Andrew, Isabel and Angela; his great-grandchildren, Amelia, Anthony, Theo, Adam, Olivia, and Abigail; and nieces Anita, Roseanne, and Diane.