Deiro Del Gallo

Deiro “Ben” Del Gallo, 95, of Lost River, WV, went to be with the Lord on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2017, at Spring Arbor in Winchester, VA. At the time of his death, he was under Blue Ridge Hospice care. He was preceded in death by his wife Anna (Tusing) Del Gallo after 63 years of marriage.

Deiro is survived by his two children, Kathleen “Kathy” (Del Gallo) Sholl and husband Michael Victor “Mike” in Shepherdstown, WV; son, Eugene “Gene” William and wife Sheilah (Bell) Del Gallo in Edinburg, VA; four grandchildren, Laura (Sholl) Huffman and husband Stacy, in Martinsburg, WV; Michael Paul Sholl and wife, Kelly, in Martinsburg, WV; William “Bill” Del Gallo, Jr., in Harrisonburg, VA; Sarah Lynn Del Gallo in Charlottesville, VA; and four great grandchildren including Richard Paul and Kate Eleanor Huffman and Cameron Michael and Christian Lewis Sholl.

Born in Torrington, CT, on May 14, 1922, Deiro was the son of the late Eugenio and Giulia (Ret) Del Gallo. For most of his young life, Deiro was raised in the small village of Glaunicco, in the province of Udine, Italy, along with 2 brothers and 3 sisters. At the age of 17, Deiro returned to Connecticut to work with his father as a bricklayer. In Glaunicco, a solemn church bell tolled when the church learned of Deiro’s death.

Deiro enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, when he was 20 years old. While in the Navy, he received the nickname “Ben” after the Italian ruler Benito Mussolini. Deiro fought in the following Theatres in World War II: American; Asiatic-Pacific; Philippines Liberation; European African; and Middle East. He earned three stars and a Victory Medal.

After the War, Deiro met his future wife Anna in Sunnybrook, MD. They married and settled in Bladensburg, MD, where he began his own business as a skilled plasterer. He then began working for the General Services Administration and had a side business of repairing lawn mowers. Upon his retirement, Deiro and Anna moved to Lost River about 1984. They enjoyed maintaining a large garden in Bladensburg and Lost River for many years, raising lettuce, radicchio, radishes, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and grapes, as well as apple and peach trees.

Deiro had a fun-loving personality. He spent many hours with his children playing games, including soccer and hide-and-go seek. He especially liked telling ghosts stories. A special treat in Lost River was when he used a black iron skillet to fry hot dogs or scrambled eggs with bacon over an open fire. He enjoyed woodworking, making numerous decorative and religious items for his family and friends. He also made ornamental cement flower beds. He loved the challenge of winning at cards, checkers, chess, and Connect Four. His Bible was well-worn from his daily readings.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2017, from 10 to 11 a.m. at McKee Funeral Home, 17434 Old Baker Road, Baker, WV. The service will be held at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Tusing Cemetery on top of Branch Mountain.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Lost River United Methodist Church, Attention Rebecca Funkhouser, Treasurer, 86 Bottom Road, Mathias, WV 26812 or Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601.

All arrangements are being handled by McKee Funeral Home, Baker, WV.