Dorothy Mae DiDio (Hamman)
Dorothy (Dottie) M. Hamman DiDio of Doylestown died peacefully on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at Pine Run Lakeview Personal Care. Born in Far Rockaway, NY on September 21st, 1929, she was 93 years old.
In 1950, at 20 years old, she married Anthony (Tony) DiDio (1925-2000). Five years later, she moved with Tony, her mother, Lois, and 2 small children to a remote area of Minnesota where Tony found employment with an energy company. Employees were recruited for a 2-year contract that provided above-normal salary levels for the life of the contract. Since her mother, Lois, was living with the family and able to watch the children, Dottie was thrilled to be hired as Postmistress at the local post office in Duluth, MN. The family then settled down to life with two incomes in the upper plains of the United States living in a 22’ long Airstream trailer for the next two years.
In 1957, the family moved to a newly constructed twin home on a cul-de-sac in Fox Chase, a small community in Northeast Philadelphia in order to be close to Tony’s aging parents, Jim and Lena DiDio. That same year, Dottie accepted a job in the Personnel Department of Lit Brothers, a major retail department store at Castor and Cottman Avenues in Philadelphia. Dottie loved her job at Lits where she not only made life-long friends but got very involved in teen fashion shows and other marketing events, honing new skills at every opportunity. She also managed to provide summer jobs for many of her daughter, Karen’s, high school friends. In addition, she would write lyrics for musical shows where she and husband, Tony, would perform in what today would be considered “team-building” events for Lit Brothers’ staff.
In the mid-1960s, she accepted a job across the street from Lit Brothers as executive secretary for the founder and CEO, Sam Green of First Federal Savings of Philadelphia (now Firstrtust Bank). After 20 years of marriage and never opting to aspire to the 1950s housewife lifestyle, Dottie and Tony filed for divorce in 1970; but Dottie would not be on her own for long. While working at the bank, she met a stranger on the elevator who asked, “Are your eyes bothering you? Because they’re bothering me.” And so a 44-year relationship ensued after meeting Charles (Chick) Cicchino in the Spring of 1971 on that elevator.
For the next 25 years, Dottie and Charles (she never liked the name, Chick) would travel extensively throughout Europe and North America. Always looking for the next adventure, in 1973, Dottie moved to Las Vegas with her 14-year old daughter, Amy, to start a clerical business with a former work colleague. After several months, she soon realized how much she missed friends and family on the East Coast and returned to Fox Chase later that year.
Wasting no time being unemployed, Dottie immediately landed a job at Empire Abrasive Equipment Company in Langhorne, PA where she realized yet another new skill in selling construction equipment over the phone to customers throughout the country. Her job also allowed her to visit clients on the West Coast which she thoroughly enjoyed. In 1994, she retired from Empire and moved to the Villages of Flowers’ Mill in Langhorne, a 55+ community. It was here that both and Charles and Dottie were very active in that gated neighborhood of 700+ villas. They both took part in the performance of Broadway-type musicals, holiday parties, and week-long excursions.
Also, while living in Langhorne, Dottie decided to return to work in a part-time position for a small family-owned business in Fairless Hills. At Pharmaceutical Information Associates, owners, Larry and Geri Liberti welcomed Dottie’s help with mailings, marketing events, holiday/birthday party planning and the opportunity to work with her daughter, Karen, son-in-law, Gary and even grandson, Garrett Groesbeck. Even though she only worked on Monday mornings from 9 to 12:00, she fully enjoyed her job and fellow colleagues. The employees would laugh when she wished everyone a nice weekend when she left at noon on Mondays.
In 2010, Dottie moved to Ann’s Choice in Warminster, a senior living community of over 3,000 residents. A decade later, she still had one final move to Pine Run Lakeview, a personal care community in Doylestown. It was here that she took part in multiple activities she had never experienced before…..e.g., yoga, rosary club, started the first poker club, Wordle, and never missed a Friday night happy hour without a Margarita. Her favorite time of day, however, was the morning when she enjoyed breakfast which was then followed by sitting on the porch and feeding the birds (and squirrel).
Dottie is survived by her children, Karen and her husband, Gary Groesbeck of Perkasie and Jim DiDio of Bala Cynwyd. Dottie outlived her daughter Amy Barber, who passed in 2020. She’s also survived by her grandchildren, Erika Groesbeck, Garrett Groesbeck and his wife Meredith, Alexandra Licata and her husband Michael, Drew Groesbeck, Michael DiDio and his wife Holly, Nicholas DiDio and his wife Rachel, Christopher DiDio, Luke DiDio, Jake DiDio, Sophia DiDio, Jillian and her husband, Tripp Murphy, Hannah and her husband, Dave Wolfgang, Ryan Barber and his wife, Molly; great-grandchildren, Juliana, Alana, Cole, Lila, Charley, Stella, Emma, Caden, Rose, Skylar, Bria, Eleanor, Chloe, Mason, Griffin and Teddy, extended family members, Greg Barber and Debby DiDio.
Dorothy’s family will receive condolences on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 from 10:00 am until her Memorial Service at 11:00 am at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 241 E. Butler Ave. (at Sandy Ridge Rd.), New Britain, PA 18901. The interment will take place privately at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the ASPCA at www.aspca.org, or to The American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, www.cancer.org.
Morning Visitation
Tuesday, December 6th, 2022
10:00 AM - 11:00 AMJoseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, New Britain
241 East Butler Avenue
New Britain, PA 18901Memorial Service
Tuesday, December 6th, 2022
11:00 AMJoseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, New Britain
241 East Butler Avenue
New Britain, PA 18901Interment will take place privately, on a future date.
Interment will be held privately