Dominick Di Giacomo

Dominick Di Giacomo, age 81, passed away in his home in San Jose, CA on Sunday, October 9, 2011. He was a devoted family man, U.S. Army veteran, an active participant in his church community and one of Silicon Valley’s most successful realtors in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy Di Giacomo and their son Fred Di Giacomo and his wife Katherine of San Jose, CA and their daughters Tara and Cassie Di Giacomo and granddaughter Sydni, son Jerry Di Giacomo and his wife Kelly of Lincoln, CA and their son Tyler and daughter Jenny, son John Di Giacomo and his wife Jacqueline of San Jose, CA and their sons Samuel and Dominic, son Rich Di Giacomo and his wife Brenda of San Jose, CA and their sons Daniel and Tommy, daughter Doreen Talbert and her husband David Wilson of La Honda, CA and their son Steven and daughter Laura.

He is also survived by his brother Nick Di Giacomo and his wife Raymonde of Fremont, CA and their family, sister Ann Ealy and her husband Ronn of San Jose, CA and their family, brother Jerry Di Giacomo and his wife Kathy of Dos Palos, CA and their family, brother Joe Di Giacomo and his wife Doris of Lincoln, CA and their family, and sister Angy Eperjessy and her husband Bob of Milpitas, CA and their family.

Dominick was preceded in death by his sister Toni and brother-in-law Charles Lohr of Milpitas, CA and by his daughter Janis Del Pozzo, whose husband Tony Del Pozzo resides in Roseville, CA and his family.

He was dearly loved by extended family members, including in-laws John and Cathy Tobias of Warren, OH and their family, Ed and Katherine Marsh of Warren, OH and their family, George and Shirley Tobias of Irwin, PA and their family, Tom and Sue Tobias of Warren, OH and their family and Carol Strapple of Windber, PA and her family.

He was beloved by numerous members of his extended family, the Crognales, as well.

Dominick, who was born in a small village in Italy, came to the United States at age 5 when he and his mother Laura moved to Windber, PA to join his father, Giovanni Di Giacomo, who had preceded them to work in the coal mines near Windber to save up money to send for his wife and young son to join him in America.

After graduating from Windber High School in 1949, he worked for Edward Hahn Meat Packing Co. in Johnstown, PA. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served during the Korean War in the U.S. Occupational Force in Germany as a part of the 7th Army Division in a MASH unit, while achieving the rank of sergeant and receiving the National Defense Service Medal before his honorable discharge.

Following his discharge, he married his sweetheart, Dorothy Tobias, whom he wrote to continually during his tour in Germany, on September 11, 1954, upon her graduation from Nursing School. Dominick returned to his meat packing career at Hahn’s while his new wife went to work at Windber Hospital. They started their family immediately with the birth of their firstborn son, Jerry, just nine months and one week after their wedding date.

In addition to his career at Hahn’s, Dominick also worked selling insurance and as a butcher at John’s Market in Windber to support his growing family, which soon included his second and third sons, John and Richard, and daughter Doreen.

He was actively involved in civic affairs as president of the Windber Chamber of Commerce and in his church life at Windber Assembly of God church, where he served on the Official Board and founded one of the first chapters of Royal Rangers, a ministry for boys, in the state of Pennsylvania.

In 1968, Dominick moved his family to Santa Clara, CA, where he went to work for Prudential Insurance Co. During the next several years, he was honored repeatedly for being among the top insurance agents in regionally and nationally, and was repeatedly rewarded with prizes, awards and trips. His success continued when he made the transition to a career as a realtor. Within a few months, he began being rewarded as one of the top realtors in regionally and statewide.

During that same period, he was actively involved in his church, Sunnyvale 1st Assembly of God/ Southbay Christian Center, where he served as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, Board member and family ministry leader. His contributions to the life of the church over 40 years were invaluable.

His greatest joy was his relationship with God. The apple of his eye was always his family. He always made each family member, and anyone he was talking to for that matter, feel like he had their undivided attention.

He loved to travel and explore new places. When living in Windber, many weekends were spent camping in the family’s Scotty trailer and annual treks to beaches on the Eastern Seaboard created many happy memories for all involved.

Dominick’s family’s new home state of California provided an almost limitless variety of adventures to satisfy Dominick’s insatiable curiosity and wanderlust. He soon discovered two of his favorite spots in the world, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. He traveled to each as often as possible. One of his favorite experiences was to introduce these destinations to people who had never been there before. He would always remark on how wonderful a thing God did when he created these beautiful sites.

If you knew Dominick, you loved him. Everyone who met him said he was the nicest person they’d ever met. He’ll be deeply missed by his loving wife and family and the thousands of people whose lives he touched every day.

A memorial service to honor this extraordinary man will be held Saturday at Calvary Assembly of God in Milpitas.