Saturday, August 27, 2016
I have long had a very high regard for Mr. Ditonto, and I have known him for most of my life. During the 1960's, he and his family were my nearby neighbors on Columbia Ave. in West Ellicott. They were the best neighbors that you could ask for, and his two sons, Guy and Bennie Jr., were my best friends. Bennie Sr. was a fine man, an excellent father to his two boys, firm yet gentle, instilling good solid values, making them into the conscientious citizens they are today. When I heard that Bennie Sr. was nearing the end of his life several weeks ago, I wrote to my brother Stuart that " if this indeed is the end of the road for him,...it must be said that he's been blessed with a long life, a loving wife, two fine sons, several grandchildren, and the rare ability to see his great-grandchildren enter the world. That is a wonderful thing!"
If the measure of a man is how much he has meant to and has been loved by others, then the life of Bennie A. Ditonto, Sr. has been a resounding success.
He will be missed.
