Obituary: Donald 'Don' 'Vito' Joseph Marino, 70, of Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT - (From D'Angelo Funeral Home) Donald Joseph Marino, “Don”, “Vito”, 70, died on January 14, 2021 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

He is predeceased by his mother Josephine Tabellione Marino and his father Salvatore Marino of Middletown, CT.

He is survived by his daughters, Jodie Marino and fiancé Dan Maiorino, and their daughter Alyssa Maiorino of Middlefield, CT; Jeannine Sekoll and her husband Larry Sekoll, and grandchildren Kyle Bubier and Julia Sekoll also of Middlefield, CT; daughter Rachel Delgadillo and her husband Jon Delgadillo, and their new baby Aiden Don Delgadillo, of Southington, CT and Rachel’s mother Janet Parent Marino of Stratham, NH.

Don is also survived by his siblings; brother Raymond Marino and his wife Carmen Marino, and their children Eric and Justin of Marlborough, CT; brother Gary Marino and his wife Stephanie Marino, and their children Gregory and Anthony of Haddam, CT; and sister Susan Anselmo and her husband Rick Anselmo, and their children Christopher and Stephen of Niantic, CT.

Don was a dedicated and hard working man. In his youth, he was an alter server at Saint Sebastian Church in Middletown and a newspaper delivery boy, which he enjoyed and always shared stories of.

Donald graduated from Middletown High School in 1968 and he continued his education at Central Connecticut State University where he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science.

Don was passionate about his career as a teacher. He taught Marketing Education at New Britain High School and proudly ran the school store, Canes Corner, for 38 years. He loved his students immensely and took honor in teaching and working with them.

He enjoyed his career so much that he was also Head Director for the National Foundation of Teaching Entrepreneurship (N.F.T.E.), where he led a group of students to win an award in New York City for their entrepreneurship business model. Don was also honored by the State of Connecticut as the 2006 Teacher of the Year.

Additionally, Don worked for many years as a Certified Moving Consultant, working for companies such as Bekins and Paul Arpin Van Lines. More recently he temporarily lived in Maine, a state he always loved, for a job at Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. where he worked as a Program Manager and oversaw federal labor programs.

He also brought his love of teaching to Maine and taught a course at Bowdoin College. Lastly, Don started a new career as a Realtor, working for his nephew’s family business, Marino Realty.

Don’s favorite hobby was bike riding. After being an avid runner for years, he transitioned to biking and found his true passion. He participated in multiple road races, loved going for long rides, and taught spinning classes for years, which brought him great joy.

Don was nicknamed “Born Ready” because he was prepared for anything and everything. He was handy, loved building things, and being the go-to “Mr. Fix-It” for the family.

Most importantly, Don’s biggest passion in life was his family. He was an incredible father and grandfather, he loved nothing more than his three girls and he cared immeasurably about them. As a proud “Papa,” he held his grandchildren close to his heart.

Don would light up in his kids’ and grandkids’ presence and he talked of them proudly. He was a staunch New York Giants fan and loved watching games with his family. Don stayed strong and fought for his life to ensure the safe birth of his newest grandson, Aiden.

He cherished family vacations, especially to Disney World, and family camping trips. Most recently, Don checked off a bucket list item and ventured on a family trip to Peru. Don’s family loved him beyond words and will miss him dearly.

Services will be private with a Celebration of Life to follow later in the year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the American Cancer Society, or New York Bully Crew no kill animal rescue.