Domenic M. Carpico's Obituary
Domenic Mario Carpico, 91, of Jefferson Hills (formerly of Oakland) passed away peacefully Saturday, May 7, 2022 at home. Domenic was born November 17, 1930 in Fontechiari, Italy to the late Antonio and Maria Domenica Gabriele Carpico. He was preceded in death by his son, Pietro; sisters, Anna Maria Recchia (Nannina), and Liberata Facchini (Concetta) and his special aunt, Elvira Fiore Demis (Zia) and uncles Anthony Gabriel and Vincent Gabriel.
He is survived by Barbara (Wilson), his beloved wife of 46 years, their two daughters, Maria Koschik (Robb) and Nina Carney (Jim). He was the proud Pappy Chickens of six grandchildren: Teddy, Domenica, Francesca, Amelia, Mario and Cecelia, in addition to many loving nieces and nephews and cousins.
Domenic lost his mother in childbirth and came of age during the aftermath of World War II in Sora, Italy. He immigrated to the United States in 1956, sponsored by his Uncle Lorenzo Carpico (Lawrence) and resided in Schenectady, New York. He relocated to Clairton where the Gabriele portion of his family had settled.
He was a prolific stonemason, who would joke that he would get the stones to fit by soaking them in water to mold them. He eventually settled into the Italian-American community in Oakland, making life-long friends and cumpares who knew him as "Domenic the Roman", because he worked in Rome for many years before he immigrated.
Domenic worked at Montefiore Hospital, where he befriended many people who recognized his work as that of a true craftsman. It allowed him as he would say "to go out on my own" and start building a business using his trade that he learned from his father.
Through the grapevine, he heard about a house coming up for sale on Meyran Avenue, he purchased it and began renovating it in his free time.
Soon after, he met Barbara at dance at Webster Hall, where he would joke that he told her "she dance like an angel, but she stepped on my feet". Following a six year courtship and engagement, they married in 1976.
A missed turn on the way to Clairton is how they found their family home on Baker Drive that Domenic single-handedly remodeled several times over the years. He also used his skills to repair the coke ovens at the Clairton Works.
Besides his children and grandchildren; his home, garden, castle and grape-covered pergola he built were his pride and joy. He was a member of the Italian Garden Project and was profiled in the Post-Gazette and on WQED.
He passed onto his children and grandchildren the cherished ways of the old country - wine making, gardening and sausage making and the beauty of opera through Pavarotti.
Domenic will be remembered as a loving husband and father and a deeply loyal friend with a generous spirit. His greatest joy was being surrounded by friends and family with good food and his homemade wine and sausage on the table. Domenic was loved by everyone who came in contact with him throughout his long and rich life.
Family and friends are welcomed on Friday, May 13, 2022 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm at the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pittsburgh. The funeral will be private with a memorial mass at a future date.
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