About Honoring the Memory of Domenic Di Lollo
On Saturday, October 22, 2022, Domenic Di Lollo, loving husband, father, and grandpa, passed away peacefully in Fort Worth, Texas at the age of 89. Born in Vipacco, Italy, on January 13, 1933, Domenic grew up loving soccer. He and his family were displaced refugees at the end of WWII, which meant that resources were often scarce. Domenic told stories of how he and the other boys would sometimes play soccer with a ball made from rolled up newspapers since none of them could afford to buy a real ball. Tall and athletic at a young age, Domenic became skilled as a goalkeeper and developed a reputation among the local communities. At times, people from near-by towns would recruit him to play for their team, paying him with a salami and bread that he would take home to help feed the family! In 1950, Domenic and his parents and siblings immigrated to Australia and settled in Perth, Western Australia. Again, his skill as a goalkeeper earned him a reputation and a place on the Australian national squad for some friendly matches against China in 1952. In 1953 he returned to Italy to rehabilitate a knee injury and ended up training with and playing some reserve games for his beloved Juventus. He continued his soccer career in Australia until he retired to get married and support his family. He continued to love soccer and watched many games throughout the rest of his life.