Obituary of John DiRago

John DiRago, 71, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on January 22, 2013 after a six month battle with cancer. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 49 years, Lynne, and his five children (and their spouses): Diane (& Doug), John (& Colleen), Bill (& Cindy), Christine (& Tim), and Matthew (& Debbie). He was also the proud Papa of 14 wonderful grandchildren: Stephanie, Billy, Ricky, Sammy, Rachael, Katie, Brendan, Zach, John, Annie, Mandy, Nick, Daniel, and Abigail. John was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent most of his life in Bedford Hills, NY. He was heavily involved in the community for over 20 years as Vice President of the Bedford Hills/Katonah Little League. During this time, he contributed in many ways. For example, he helped with the expansion of the original playing field, cut the grass, served as treasurer, and worked in the snack bar. He also coached his sons' baseball teams for many years. John was elected to the league's Hall of Fame in 1991. John worked at Mutual of America as Payroll Manager and retired in 2010. During his free time, he thoroughly enjoyed traveling with his wife to places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They also enjoyed cruising to the Caribbean. His hobbies included collecting shot glasses from each of the vacation spots they visited and collecting coins. John also spent a considerable amount of time with his grandchildren, attending many of their games and/or events, and collecting baseball cards with them. He also loved the holidays, particularly Christmas Eve where he got to play the role of "Santa" and hand out all of the presents. John was a big fan of the New York Giants, New York Rangers, and New York Mets. John's calm demeanor, keen sense of humor, thoughtfulness, and unending love and commitment to his family will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bedford Hills/Katonah Little League @ P.O. Box 446, Bedford Hills, NY 10507.