Joseph O. DiCola

Joseph Orlando DiCola, age 86, born in Chicago, Illinois, died peacefully on November 24, 2022, in the Park Ridge home he lovingly built for his family and in which he lived for 54 years. He fought valiantly and without complaint for two years, withstanding prostate cancer, West Nile virus and COVID. He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years Rosalie (nee Maggiore), whom he adored and about whom he worried until the very end, his children Elizabeth, Jacqueline, Joseph (Mary), Catherine Angell (Jim), James (Debora), and JoAnne, and the grandchildren he loved and cheered on: Michael DiCola and Jennifer Azzaro (Michael), Megan, Kevin, and Nicole Angell, James and Mary Grace DiCola, Joseph and Giancarlo Di Cola, and Jacqueline and Dominic Zucchero. They were a source of joy to him and he drew energy from their presence. He is also survived by his sister Maria Elena Carson (John), his brother Renzo (Anna), his brothers-in-law Jack Maggiore and Salvatore Maggiore, his sisters-in-law Rose Maggiore and Mary Lou Maggiore, and many loving nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Armand DiCola, his mother Rosalia DiCola (nee Bellavia), and his brother Armand (Vince) DiCola.

In life, his world revolved around his family and he was happiest when family gathered. He took his large brood on yearly camping vacations throughout the Midwest, valiantly trying to keep fishing lures in the water and not hanging from trees or tangled in the weeds. In his later years, he enjoyed trips with his wife, his children and grandchildren, relishing visits arranged by his children to the Smoky Mountains, the Badlands, the Black Hills, the caves of Southeastern Ohio, and Mount Rushmore (fulfilling a lifelong wish), always grateful for the adventure and full of wonder at the beauty around him. He and Rosalie spent many happy weeks vacationing in Hilton Head with Sam, Mary Lou, Jack and Rose, fishing and playing endless (hotly contested) games of cards and dominos. He loved fishing, whistling with the cardinals that frequented the family yard, and watching the hummingbirds that visited the feeder on the deck.

His professional life began at the renowned architectural firm of Schmidt Garden & Erickson, where he began as a draftsman and learned to be a specialist in hospital HVAC engineering and design. Over the years, he earned a place as one of the most respected hospital HVAC engineers in the Midwest, leading work on major hospitals from Chicago to Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Colorado Springs. He was recognized for his award winning work on the new University of Chicago Hospital. He was ahead of his time, helping to design the ventilation systems for early NICUs and worrying about air quality in indoor spaces fifty years before COVID.

He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.

Visitation Monday, November 28th, 4-8 p.m., at Ryan-Parke Funeral Home, 120 S. Northwest Highway, Park Ridge. Prayers Tuesday, 12 Noon from funeral home to St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, 140 S. Northwest Hwy., Park Ridge. Mass 12:30 p.m. Interment All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to your favorite charity are appreciated. 

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