Frank L DiMaggio

Frank Louis DiMaggio, 94, died peacefully on January 4, 2024. He was born in New York City on September 2, 1929 to Serafino and Maria (Barbuto) DiMaggio. One of four siblings, Frank grew up in Washington Heights, NY. He is predeceased by brothers Joseph and Oronzo. He is survived by his younger sister, Rose, whom he adored. Frank was the loving husband of 35 years to Irene (Koehn) DiMaggio, who predeceased him 25 years ago. He was the proud father of Sam and his wife Erin, and Peter and his wife Nicole. He was the beloved grandfather of Nicholas, Michael, Frank, Luke, Rose, and David.

Frank spent his childhood years in Washington Heights, NY where he loved to play stickball on the streets of NYC. After graduating from Stuyvesant High School in 1946 he attended Columbia University where he received a BS in 1950, MS in 1951, and his PhD in 1954. He then had a distinguished 50-year career teaching at Columbia University as a Professor of Civil and Structural Engineering. While he was most well-known for his groundbreaking work in soil-structure interaction, he would say that his doctoral students were his greatest achievement as an engineering scholar.

Frank was drafted to the United States Army soon after he became a professor at Columbia. He was quickly identified during basic training for his brilliant mind and was moved to the Pentagon to provide counsel and conduct special weapons research and design for the Department of Defense.

Frank loved to read, learn new languages, and travel the world. While he spent many years traveling the globe, his heart belonged to Italy. He returned there every chance he could. Italian food, wine, and culture were his passion.

Frank spent his later years mentoring young engineering professors at Columbia. He continued his quest to learn new languages and was always on the hunt for great conversation and great cuisine. However, his greatest source of pride and enjoyment came from time spent with his friends and family, especially his six grandchildren. He was incredibly loyal and would do absolutely anything for those he loved. He was a proud and doting father and grandfather until his last day.

Friends and family may come pay their respects on Thursday, January 11, 2024 from 4pm - 8pm at Blackley Funeral Home, 809 Broad Avenue, Ridgefield, NJ. A graveside burial will take place on Friday, January 12, 2024 at 11:00am at Ridgefield Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations please be made to The Colorectal Cancer Alliance at https://www.ccalliance.org/

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