Joseph E. DeChicchis

Joseph E. DeChicchis, age 96, of Elizabeth, passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at Jefferson Hospital in the company of his beloved wife and eldest child. He retired as a Command Pilot of the U.S. Air Force at the rank of Lt. Colonel, having flown "the Hump" during World War II (China-Burma-India), with subsequent combat service during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was a former Director of Operations at the Pittsburgh Air Base and a former Wing Commander of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol. A member of St. Michael Parish in Elizabeth Twp., he retired as a local area builder, having founded Joseph E. DeChicchis & Co. and J&E Building, and he was also the founder of J&E Rentals. Born December 26, 1923 in Painesville, Ohio, he was the eldest child of the late Caesar and Jennie (Perifano) DeChicchis. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, L. Elaine (Vitori) DeChicchis; daughter, Diane (Tony Brown) DeChicchis of Peters Twp.; sons, Joseph DeChicchis of Elizabeth, David (Alesia) DeChicchis of Pittsburgh and John (Melissa) DeChicchis of Peters Twp.; grandchildren, David, Jacob and JR Brown, and Joseph, Louis, Jiovanni, Vincent, Sabrina and Nico DeChicchis; sister, Erselia Rothey of Elizabeth; also, nieces,  nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Annette Schwartz, Corinne Kutsenkow and Marie Tierney, and brother, Antoni deChicchis. Visitation is private. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, July 17, 2020 at 1 PM in St. Michael Parish with the Rev. Thomas A. Wagner officiating. Masks are required and social distancing rules apply. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael Parish, 101 McLay Drive, Elizabeth, PA 15037. Arrangements by the Paul E. Bekavac Funeral Home, Elizabeth. Tributes with photos, videos, or audio messages may be sent to colonel.dechicchis@gmail.com.

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