David Daniel Lioi

David Daniel Lioi was born to Joseph and Marie (Sammarco) on November 30, 1942. He grew up outside of Newark, NJ in the town of Bloomfield, in a household with his parents and paternal grandparents. As a boy David helped his grandmother, Lucy, in the kitchen. He regularly visited Grandma Sammarco and his mother’s Aunt Mary, whom he fondly recalled watching as she made Sicilian-style pizza. David’s grandfather, Donato, whom everyone called Dan, had emigrated from Italy as a young man and worked as a day laborer. David carried his parents’ love of music throughout his life, enjoying singing (though not for an audience) and taking great pleasure in Motown hits, Broadway musicals, and the great works of composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Dave was a whistler like his mother, whistling his way around the house, sometimes with great flourish and occasionally joined by his daughter’s whistle in harmony. David attended Rutgers University, studying English and minoring in French. After going directly into a masters program for secondary education, David was granted a deferment from the Vietnam draft because the public schools urgently needed teachers and he was providing a public service. That, and he had the good fortune of inheriting flat feet from his father. David met his future mother-in-law, Hazel Leonard, at the flower shop where his friend worked a summer job driving the delivery truck. At her encouragement, Hazel’s daughter Joan agreed to meet David for a double date, and they went to see the film, To Sir, With Love. They were married on a very hot day, June 28, 1969, surrounded by their families and friends. For their honeymoon, they took the first of many trips to England. David was an affectionate husband and showed his love by keeping up with the dishes and tidying around the house. Joan and David welcomed their firstborn, Jason, while living in an apartment in Montclair, NJ, and shortly thereafter purchased their first home in the Indian Lake community of Denville, NJ. Seven years later, when Joan had abandoned hope of having another child and re-enrolled in college to complete her degree, she learned she would be giving birth right around the time of final exams. Samantha was born that December. David taught reading and language arts to seventh and eighth graders for 30 years at Luis Muñoz Marín Middle School, called Broadway Junior High when he began his career. He loved his students and enjoyed his fellow teachers, regularly coming home with funny, affectionate stories of both students and colleagues. In the first few summers after becoming a teacher, David got his hairdresser’s license and worked at the Bamburger’s salon at the Rockaway Mall, not far from their home in Denville. He had been cutting and styling hair for friends and family for years, just one aspect of his good eye and myriad creative gifts. Joan and Dave were active in their local churches, valuing service and learning as their faith evolved and expanded over the years. They served independently and together as Sunday School teachers, and David served as a deacon and was on hand for decorating and floral arrangements to beautify church spaces. As they embraced an increasingly inclusive understanding of God’s love and the teachings of Jesus, they hosted adult book discussions and encouraged their peers to interrogate their understandings and stay open to fresh interpretations of biblical texts. David enjoyed color and creating beauty, which showed in the various shades of dress shirts and ties he sported, in his many meticulous live and artificial floral arrangements, and in his elaborate Christmas decorating at home each year. He loved the arts—visual, musical, theatrical, literary—and deeply valued the power of words. Dave’s quick temper would flare as he became very passionate and animated about political decisions he disdained or social ills he lamented. One could gauge the level of his passion by the amount of hand movements. He listened well to his friends and offered compassion without trying to fix them. After Dave took early retirement, he and Joan traveled far and wide. They cruised together through the Panama Canal, to Hawaii, and around the Baltic. They regularly visited Jason and his wife, Becky Godbey, in Los Angeles, California, and Samantha in her various locales. They explored England, Canada, and Italy multiple times each. Sadly, during a family cruise on the Danube River in June 2023, David suffered a heart attack, and underwent bypass surgery in Prague. After two months of recovery there, he was flown on a medical transport back to the US, where he struggled to regain his former health. Spending much of 2024 in and out of hospitals and assisted living centers, David succumbed to his cumulative ailments on June 7, 2024. His family and friends feel a great loss at his passing. A memorial service will begin at 11 am on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at New Castle Presbyterian Church, 25 E 2nd Street, New Castle, DE. Any loved ones who are unable to attend the service for David may live stream the service by clicking here. In lieu of flowers, we invite friends and family who wish to make a donation in David’s honor to support Ripple Community Inc., 1335 W. Linden Street, Allentown, PA 18102 or online by clicking here: or Habitat for Humanity International, 322 West Lamar Street, Americus, GA 31709-3543 or online by clicking here.

David Daniel Lioi

November 30, 1942 - June 7, 2024