Robert Anthony DiNicola (Dino)

On September 13th, 2024, Robert A. DiNicola, 73 years old, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family.

"Dino," as known by many of his close friends, was tough on the outside but gentle on the inside.  He was a hard worker and a good provider for his family.  He came from modest means, and it meant the world to him to be able to provide a life for his family that he did not have growing up.

Bob was born on March 5th, 1951, and he grew up in Woodlyn, Pennsylvania.  He was the only child of Herman P. DiNicola and Florence Drill. In his younger years, he attended St. Rose where he spent as much time in the Principal's office as he did in the classroom.  After that, he attended Ridley High School (Class of '69) where he played football. From there, Bob went on to Cheyney State University where he proudly earned his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education, and his Master's Degree in School Administration from Villanova University.

His career started in 1973 when he was hired to teach English at Chichester High School. During his time as a teacher, he was also a fiery football coach for Chi.  He was passionate about the game and loved to push his players to reach their full potential on the field.  He was also known to stalk an official or two on the sidelines.

In 1979, his son Anthony was born, and his daughter Danielle was born in 1982.  They were his pride and joy.  He took immense pleasure in watching them grow up and being there for them every step of the way.  He never missed a sports game involving Anthony or a dance recital involving Danielle.  Bob was committed to supporting his children in all of their endeavors. There were endless stories and laughs shared around the kitchen table.  He was a simple man who loved spending quality time with his family sitting on the porch.

Professionally, he is best known for being the long time Principal of Chichester High School until he retired from Chi in 2002.  This was a role that he cherished and was deeply passionate about. In 1995, Bob earned National Recognition as the Pennsylvania State Principal of the Year. He was affectionately known by everyone in Chi as "MR. D."  He also coined the phrase "Chi Pride."  He had a knack for knowing every one of his students by name.  Over the years "MR. D." positively impacted the lives of too many students to count.

In 1995, he was inducted into the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame for his work as "Sports Promoter."  This honor was in large part due to his efforts as Director of the Chester YMCA for many years.  He earned multiple awards and recognitions throughout his career.  One of his favorites was leading the Swarthmorewood Braves (his son's baseball team) from worst to a first place title.

Bob ended his illustrious career at Lincoln Technical Institute (Philadelphia) where he worked as the Director of Education.

Outside of his career, he took great pleasure in spending time with his long time partner Nancy Stackeni.  They were inseparable, and could always be seen taking long walks together through Ridley Township.  They loved attending Antique Auctions, all the while hunting down the best collectibles they could find. Truth be told, you could find them pretty regularly at the Casino as well!

In his spare time, Bob also loved fishing and sports, especially watching the Phillies, Eagles, and attending countless baseball games over the years with his son.  He was known to frequently visit local diners with Nancy and enjoyed homemade desserts by his daughter.  He also never met a cheesesteak, hamburger, or ice cream cone that he did not like.

Bob had many talents, one of them being a handyman. There was nothing around his house or his children's houses that he could not fix.  He was always there to lend a helping hand.  No task was ever too big or too small for him to tackle.  Bob had a long-time passion for repairing older model cars. He enjoyed working with his hands and getting dirty.

In his final years, his new title as Pop-Pop was his greatest joy.  He loved being bossed around by "Pearlie," his granddaughter.  He was a frequent customer at his granddaughter Lilliana Pearl's make-up, hair salon, and bakery shops :)

Bob was very close with his family, who have so much love for him and will miss him dearly.  He leaves behind the Love of his Life Nancy Stackeni, his son Anthony DiNicola, his daughter Danielle DiNicola, Granddaughter Lilliana Pearl DiNicola and his Cousin Danny Drill.

He is predeceased by his father Herman P. DiNicola and his mother Florence Drill.

Visitation 8:30 to 10:45 AM Thursday, September 19, 2024 at the White-Luttrell Funeral Home, 311 N. Swarthmore Ave., Ridley Park, followed by Funeral Mass at 11:30 AM at St. Rose of Lima R.C. Church, 1901 Chester Pike, Eddystone.  Burial Immaculate Heart Cemetery.

Memorial gifts to Providence Animal Center, 555 Sandy Bank Rd., Media, PA  19063 would be appreciated.