Louis A DiGiandomenico

Lou DiGiandomenico

Lorain – Louis “Lou” A. DiGiandomenico, 93, passed away peacefully on Wednesday March 16, 2022 surrounded by his family and under the care of Mercy New Life Hospice.

Lou, a life-long resident of Lorain, was born on March 30, 1928 to Nicola and Marianna DiGiandomenico. His family came from the small village of Castiglone a Casauria, a Province of Pescara in the Abruzzi region of Italy. After having three children, his parents immigrated to the United States. Lou was the only child born in America, and he represented the accomplishment of his father’s journey to find a better life for his family.  Lou deeply appreciated the sacrifice that his parents made, and that is why he was so proud to be a DiGiandomenico.

Lou is survived by his loving wife, Grace (nee Sforza) DiGiandomenico; daughters, Luann DiGiandomenico (Bruce Bevan), Mary Jo DiGiandomenico (Richard Perkins); sons, Tony (Luann) DiGiandomenico, Lou DiGiandomenico (Beth Glassman), and Joe DiGiandomenico; grandchildren, Mark, Christina, Alex, Nicole, Louie, Tony, Katie, Enrico, Alex, Rosa, Sofia, Leo, Destiny and Angel; 12 great grand-children and many nieces and nephews he deeply loved.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Nicola and Marianna DiGiandomenico; brothers, John and Leonard; sister, Cecilia; daughter, Christina, and son John.

Lou was the definition of a hard worker his whole life.  At an early age he sold newspapers on Broadway and cleaned Miraldi's cafe in Lorain.  At the age of 17, he graduated from Lorain High School and joined the Navy.  He was honorably discharged after six months of service, returned home, and quickly got into a profession that would be his passion for the rest of his life. His first shoe repair job was with his brother John in Marysville, Ohio.  After learning the trade under his brother, he opened up a shop of his own.  Around that time, he met a pretty Italian girl from Newark, OH, Grace Sforza, that became his wife on July 5th, 1952.  With a new bride and growing family, Lou had to make the difficult decision of closing the shop.  He landed a great job at BF Goodrich, where he worked for 35 years until he retired at the age of 63. Of course, he would not stay retired long, and he found a new part-time gig that brought him back to his true passion, shoe repair.  He worked at Leimkuehler Orthotic and Prosthetic for 20 years before finally retiring for a second time.

Personable and sentimental, Lou loved telling stories, jokes, and providing guidance to his family and friends. He played the saxophone and cherished his Italian heritage, especially the food, music, and his unique last name.  He was the patriarch of the DiGiandomenico family and a proud Italian American veteran.  Lou will be deeply missed.

Family and friends will be received at Reidy-Scanlan-Giovannazzo Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2150 Broadway, Lorain on Sunday, March 20, 2022 from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM. Closing prayers will be held at the funeral home on Monday at 10:20AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, March 21, 2022 at St. Anthony of Padua, 1305 E. Erie Ave., Lorain, OH 44053, Fr. Edward Smith, Pastor, officiating. Christian burial services will be held at Ridge Hill Memorial Park in Amherst, OH with military honors by the U.S. Navy. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Anthony of Padua Church or School. Online condolences may be shared with the family by using www.rsgfuneralhome.com.

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