RICHMOND—On Wednesday, December 28, 2022, Donald Carl DeFilippo, beloved husband of Jean, passed away in Richmond, at age 94.
Born October 12, 1928 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, he is the first son of Dominic and Florence (Higginbotham) DeFilippo. He grew up in the Boston area and helped support his family during the depression as a paid choir boy.
He joined the Marine Corps at 17 and was assigned to the photo unit. After leaving the Marines, he worked in photographic production in highly classified labs throughout his 46-year career in the federal government. Having only a high school education he was appointed to the senior executive service managing a large organization within the Department of Defense.
He met and married Jean (Humphries) DeFilippo while stationed at Henderson Hall in Arlington. She was the love of his life and they were married for over 74 years. They lived at the home he built in the Northern Neck for 46 years.
He loved flying his own airplane, traveling, gardening, woodworking, photography and reading histories. But his proudest accomplishment was building his house along the Rappahannock River. From drawing the blueprints to hanging the drywall, every bit of the house was touched by him. Don will forever be known for his energetic can-do spirit, his ability to figure out anything and his endless curiosity.
Don is survived by Jean DeFilippo currently living in Richmond; son, Robert (Beth) DeFilippo of Pittsburgh, Pa.; daughter, Susan (Hal) Breitenberg of Glen Allen; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; sisters, Ruth (Bob) Bowler of Bedford, N.H., and Ann Arvanian of Oakland, Calif., and sister-in-law, Nancy, wife of his late brother, Richard DeFilippo.
The funeral and graveside service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 7, at St. Mary’s Whitechapel in Lancaster. Family and friends are welcome for lunch in the Parish Hall beginning at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of your choice.
Currie Funeral Home LLC of Kilmarnock handled the arrangements.
