Libro DiPilato

Libro DiPilato 91, a longtime Shrewsbury resident, a man of strength and principle with a heart of gold, passed away, Friday, December 24, 2021 surrounded by his family.  Libro now joins his loving wife of 61 years in heaven, whom he missed so very much since her passing in 2016. 

Libro was born in Worcester and grew up off Belmont Hill, a son of the late Italian immigrants Matteo and Rose (Carelli) DiPilato. He was a hard-working man from an early age, always reminiscing about the days when he had a paper route, delivered chickens grown at his family home, working at the A&P, helping the family tending to the vegetable and flower garden on Locust Ave, making wine with his father or canning vegetables with mother.  Libro was a graduate of North High School.

As a young adult, Libro joined the United States Navy and was honorably discharged in 1952.  After coming home from the Navy, he drove for Worcester Sand & Gravel then took a job with Dauphinais Concrete. He was proud of the work he did and the way he would clean and shine up the truck at days end.  Libro loved to tell the story of when he first saw the Love of his Life, Lena while driving the concrete truck. Libro would say “I was driving the truck down Lincoln Street when I saw this beautiful young woman on her front lawn and when she saw the truck, she waved to me. I honked the horn and she shouted back, Call Me”.  That would be the beginning a lifetime filled with love, family, great friends and building a family business.  In 1954, Libro and Lena were married, he became a loving member of Lena’s family, which included her thirteen siblings and spouses.  They started their family with the birth of their sons Matthew and Joseph and a daughter Diane.

Libro and his older brother Vinnie went into business together opening the DiPilato Bros Gulf Station on Belmont Hill. Libro continued ownership of the station and eventually he was joined by his sons Matthew and Joseph.  He was so very proud of the business he had built. In addition to the gas and service station, there was a used car lot, a car wash and eventually an ice company.  The days were long, the work was never ending but he enjoyed every minute.  Libro talked about the friends and customers that “traded” with him, he remembered all of them even the cars they drove, the type of work they did and their families.  Libro loved visits from Lena during the day, as she stopped in to say hello to her husband and sons.  She would bring some lunch and to fill her car with gas so she and their daughter Diane could head out for a day of errands and some shopping.

As his family grew with the birth of his granddaughters, first Leigh and then Lindsay, his sense of new love and appreciation for life and family grew along with his heart of gold. 

The time came to move forward with his goals and dreams to provide for his family. Libro decided to join one of the many amazing family-owned restaurants on Shrewsbury Street, one of those restaurants owned by his brother-in-Law John, known as the Parkway Diner.  Libro and Lena assumed ownership of Harper’s Bazaar, a small Italian restaurant with delicious Italian dishes, some made by Lena or his talented cooks, Billy, Mary and Rae.  Once again Libro enjoyed the hard work and endless hours of owning a small family business, with the help of his family, sons Matt & Joe, daughter-in-law Maria, his daughter Diane and soon to be son-in-law Rick.

Life was not always work, there was time for fun too.  Libro and Lena loved to travel, go snowmobiling with the neighbors, taking the family skiing up north, summer vacations on Cape Cod, Ocean Beach or Hampton, day trips to Boston, dinner with friends and always great times with their sisters and brothers for the annual Halloween Party, a night of playing cards or just hanging out together.

The family was growing and the circle of friends grew as well…a life to be proud of, a life he shared with so many.   Libro and Lena were once again blessed with a granddaughter Allysha, a grandson Matthew and granddaughter Lauren.  The family would gather on Roman Drive every Sunday at one O’clock for a wonderful family dinner, the music would be playing in the driveway, usually a lively polka, and Libro would be whistling and humming to the music waiting for the kids to arrive while Lena was preparing one of her famous Sunday dinners inside. Sometimes she would join him, and they would dance in the garage or relax in the driveway. The anticipation of the kids arriving was always so exciting for them.  Once in a while a neighbor or two or three would join, everyone was welcome and there was always enough food to share and enjoy.  Dinner was followed by playing bocce on the fabulously manicured lawn, watching his beloved New York Yankees on TV or swimming in the crystal-clear swimming pool.  Libro took pride in everything he did and everything he loved. He was a perfectionist and always had the strength, love, and humor of his wife by his side.  Libro would laugh so affectionately at Lena’s jokes, comical routines or nicknames she would call him. They lived to entertain, to experience and enjoy every moment they had with all their children and grandchildren.  The family continued to grow and Libro and Lena were blessed with great-grandchildren Michael, Mckenna, Ava, Anthony and Annabel.  Although Lena had passed before Payton and Logan joined the family, Papa was able to enjoy and welcome them.  Libro’s grandchildren and great grandchildren meant everything to both he and Lena, as did his sons Matthew and Joseph, his daughter Diane, his daughter-in-law Maria, and son-in-law Rick. He was grateful for each and every one of them and enjoyed and recognized their individual spirit and personalities. You could see it in his eyes and his smile when he saw them or shared a story or two about them.  

Libro was a man of honor, a man who would do anything he could to help family, support a friend or someone who became part of his life.  He was strong, facing life with resilience and determination.  A life well lived, a life to treasure, a father and Papa that will be greatly missed.

We hope Lena, his wife he longed to be with once again, greeted him in heaven, along with his mom and dad, mother and father-in-law, brothers, sister, sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews as well as so many friends who passed before him.  We missed him here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year but we have faith and believe that there was a magical feast and gathering when he arrived in heaven on Christmas Eve.  We love you Dad and Papa; we know you will always be by our side. You have showed us true love, the rewards of hard work, to be respectful and to always dream.

Libro is survived by his son, Matthew and his wife Maria, his son, Joseph and his daughter Diane Nolli and husband Richard; his grandchildren, Leigh Ann Augusto and her husband Rob, Lindsay, Matthew and his partner Lindsay, Allysha Clark and her husband Steven and Lauren; his great grandchildren, Michael, Mckenna, Ava, Anthony, Annabel, Payton and Logan.  Libro also leaves his brother-in-law, John Evangelista, his sister and brother-in-law, Martin and Lucy Cariglia, his sister-in-law, Norma Armenti and brother-in-law, Lawrence Boissoneau, so many wonderful nieces, nephews and friends.

Libro was predeceased by his loving wife, Lena (Armenti); his parents Matteo and Rose (Carelli) DiPilato; his mother and father-in-law, Giuseppe and Angelina (Bodinizzo) Armenti; his brothers, Francesco, Armando, Vincent and his wife Helen, Frank and his wife Constance, Albert and his wife Angie, and Nicholas and his wife Minnie; a sister, Jenny Gonet and her husband Alfred; sisters-in-law, Mary Carillo and her husband Albert, Yolanda Cote and her husband Normand, Gloria Lemanski and her husband Eddy, Ida Evangelista, Katherine Foley and her husband Duke, and Rose Marie Boissoneau; brothers-in-law, Ralph Armenti, Peter Armenti, John Armenti, Pasty Armenti and his wife Esther, Natale Armenti and his wife Nancy and Joseph Armenti.

Services for Libro will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St., Worcester with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am in St. Anne’s Church, 130 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury.  Burial will follow in Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury.  Relatives and friends are invited to a period of calling hours on Tuesday, December 28^th from 4-7 pm in the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Veterans Inc. Independence Hall, 59 South St., Shrewsbury, MA. 01545.