John J. De Carlo, professional problem solver

John J. De Carlo, 80, of Lewes passed away peacefully Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, with the love of his life, best friend and wife, Joyce, by his side.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1943 to John and Bess De Carlo, John attended North Catholic High School and Dobbins Vocational School, then proudly joined the United States Army and served as a staff sergeant at Fort Knox, Ky., for six years.

Following his service to his country, John knew his life would not be complete without beginning his 60-year journey with his beautiful and ever-so-kind partner, Joyce. Together, they lived in Wilmington and West Chester, Pa., making lifelong friends along the way, finally settling in 2007 in Lewes, where they have enjoyed the past 16 years with their wonderful friends in their community.

In 1966, John joined the DuPont Company in Wilmington in the Printing Services Department where he set the standard of excellence as a senior printing specialist before he retired in 2004 after devoting more than 38 years to his craft. At DuPont, John was known as ‘the guy to go to’ when no one else could solve your problem, and, of course, with that, one would also know that ‘that guy’ would always help you but at the same time, had no problem telling you exactly how he felt about your problem before he solved it.

Ever the professional, ever the person who would help anyone, John would often wow his younger co-workers by showing them the latest piece of jewelry or newest car he was going to surprise his wife with for her birthday or anniversary; as he did this, it was never to be boastful or to talk about money; it was to share with all his love for Joyce. When he returned to the work gang after giving each special gift, he would simply say, “She loved it,” as he beamed so proudly. He also would share the story of how their then very young nephew Jamie wanted for Christmas a very difficult-to-find, very special gift; a gift that he and Joyce were going to find no matter what (pre-internet days), so they traveled to three different states to find the one he wanted, until they had it. “It was worth every second to us,” he said, “to see Jamie’s face when he opened it.”

An avid chess player and self-taught computer expert, with a love for music, history and cars, John, together with Joyce, also enjoyed cooking and baking, walking, the beach, and spending time with their family and dear friends. John could often be found offering to help his neighbors with computer issues or simply picking up their newspapers for them to save them a trip.

John was predeceased by his parents; his in-laws, Bud and Evelyn Stankiewicz; and his brother-in-law, Bill Stankiewicz. He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce; his sister-in-law Robin and her husband Bob; his beloved nephew, Jamie; his sister-in-law, Mary Stewart; his godson, Corrie; his brother, Robert De Carlo (Carol); many dear friends; and a bunch of non-biological, but ever-so-close great-nieces and -nephews to whom he was affectionally known as Uncle John.

John will be missed by all, but the stories about him, the love he shared, and the legacy and impact he has left on so many will forever remain in the hearts and lives of those he’s left behind.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on a later date.

Visit John’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.