Rocco V D'Onofrio Obituary (1924

Rocco V. D'Onofrio, 93, of Tupper Lake, NY. Born in Utica, NY on December 15, 1924. A veteran of WWII, served in the U.S. Army with the 820th Tank Destroyer battalion until captured at the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944. He was a prisoner of war until April 1945 which at that time escaped and made it to the U.S. front lines. After return from service Rocco married Gloria Demartino and together had two daughters, Arlene and Sally. They settled in Whitesboro, NY for many years. He later was married to Alice Crippen and together purchased the Emperial Motel in 1974 and moved to Tupper Lake and operated the motel for eleven years. Rocco was employed by three different liquor companies and retired in 1994. Mr. D'Onofrio was a member of the American Legion, V.F.W., Disabled American Veterans, American Ex Prisoner of War, Loyal Order of the Moose and the Eagles. He loved hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. Rocco is survived by two children; Mrs. Arlene Cheyne and husband James of Marcy and Sally A. D'Onofrio of Marcy, stepdaughter, Joyce Vollmer of Tupper Lake, grandchildren; James C. Cheyne and his wife Dawn and Courtney Parry, both of Marcy as well as three great-granddaughters . He was pre-deceased by his wife Alice and stepdaughter Donna Tompkins of Arizona. Calling hours and service are scheduled for Sunday, April 29 from 2-4pm, service at 4pm at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough funeral home in Tupper Lake. A gathering will follow at the VFW Post 3120. Burial will be in Calvary cemetery in Utica, at 12 noon Monday April 30th with full military honors.