Ernest A. De Marco
June 15, 1936 ~ April 30, 2020
Ernest Anthony DeMarco passed away April 30, 2020 after a brief illness. Beloved husband of 50 years to Eileen, cherished father to Maria and adoring Pop-Pop to granddaughters, Gaetana and Angelina.
Ernest was born June 15, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Philomena and Ernest DeMarco. The middle brother of three, Ernest was preceded in death by his older brother, Benjamin and is survived by his younger brother Mario with whom he shared a terrific and close relationship. His large extended family includes many nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces all of whom he cared about deeply.
After completing a term of enlistment in the Army where he served in the Finance Corps, he left the Armed Forces for a civilian career in the Federal Government. He began his career with the Internal Revenue Service in Philadelphia as a Tape Librarian and continued on to become an accomplished computer programmer and ultimately manager of information systems. At the time of his retirement from the Internal Revenue Service after 37 years of service, he had achieved the position of Chief of the Management Information Systems Branch overseeing the IRS Service Centers and over 150 staff. During the course of his career he received many accolades and awards for his outstanding service. Not wanting to sit idle in retirement, he continued on as a consultant for several years providing his expertise in systems management.
He enjoyed time in retirement traveling to distant lands with his wife Eileen, brother Mario and Mario’s wife Kay. He also enjoyed traveling and spending family beach vacations at Myrtle Beach, SC with his daughter Maria, son-in-law Ryan and their daughters.
Ernie was a jovial and fun loving man. He was a real cool dude and always a snazzy dresser. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a loving heart. Always quick with a laugh, he loved to have fun, dance and joke. He treated others with respect and honesty. He was a quick thinker and a resourceful problem solver whose unique perspective helped to look at things in new and uncommon ways finding solutions to even the trickiest puzzles.
His greatest joy in life was his family. A devoted husband and family man, his only daughter Maria was his pride and joy and he loved more than anything to spend time and dote on his two granddaughters, Gaetana and Angelina. He is a great loss to our family and we will miss him every day. We will carry the memory of his spirit within us to warm and guide us all the rest of our days.
Ernest will be interred at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia. Services will be Private. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 10:30am and will be Livestreamed. The link will be made available for anyone who would like to participate.
Floral arrangements will be accepted at the Funeral Home on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 no later than 12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation or to any organization supporting United States Veterans. To join the livestream broadcast of the funeral mass on May 7, 2020 at 10:30am, please go to the site below and click the “Watch Mass” button.
Click Here for Funeral Mass
Eileen, Maria, Ryan, Gaetana and Angelina, We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Ernie and cannot even imagine your grief. He was such a wonderful husband, father and grandfather – truly one of a kind! Ernie was always a class act (and agree snazzy dresser) and we will always remember the deep love he had for his family and his sharp wit. He would just light up when talking about Maria and the girls. We have so many wonderful memories of our annual Christmas visits and it will just not be the same without him. There are no words we can say to express how much he will be missed and how glad we are to have known him for the last 50 years. We will include Ernie and you in our prayers and you are in our thoughts always. Love always, Virginia & Gary Gallicchio
I am so sorry for your loss. Praying our lord provides comfort and peace to you and family during this sorrowful and heartbreaking time. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Cynthia Dupre
The kids and I will always remember Uncle Ernie with a big smile. He always was so good with kids never being too busy to play and of course joey will always remember his crazy handshake. This is such a great loss as he was a great man. Our thoughts and prayers are with you always. Love Amy ,Joey,Sophia,&Lil
Ernie was a respected and beloved colleague. He will be missed not just by his loved ones, but by his friends and co-workers who got to know him over the years.
Earnie was my favorite beach chief of all time. He always had my back, gave me good advice and trusted me to make decisions. He was one of the few people who helped me with my career, finances and relationships. A super class act also had a great sense of humor. Rest In Peace, dear Ernie.
I never met Ernie but befriended Eileen in our Silversneakers classes at the gym. We became fast friends. It was clear how deeply she loved and adored her husband Ernie. My heart aches for her and her families loss as well as all those who had the honor and privilege of knowing him. I wish I had met him. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and everyone who was touched by Ernie throughout his life. My deepest condolences. Vicky Dorn-Fontana
So sorry for your loss and hope the Lord can ease your pain. Eileen, Maria, Ryan, Gaetana and Angelina my heart goes out to you. Hope all the great memories of Ernie help to sustain you through this very sad time. – Ric Mansfield and family
Dear Eileen and Maria, There are no words to tell you how sorry I am. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. I will always remember Ernie as a family man who loved you both and the rest of the family. Chris Von Hoene and family
Uncle Ernie would always shake my hand when I was young, ask me how I was doing and proceed to give me needed advice. Of course this lasted for 53 years of my life. I will always remember his wit, his kindness and his strong character. He was one of the nicest men I have ever known and we will miss him.
A candle was lit for the decedent.
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Ernie. He was a fantastic person and even a better manager. He will be greatly missed. Jim Molle’
Our condolences to your family from very old friends from IRS, Russ and Donna Moling. Ernie was a great guy.
Eileen and Maria. I just learned of Ernie’s passing and I want to express my sincere condolences to you and the family. Ernie was more than my boss at IRS…he was also a friend. Ernie saw my potential and had me transferred to his group when he was the Supervisory Programmer of the IMF programs. I was just a new programmer and was unproven, but Ernie gave me a chance to prove myself. I convinced him to allow me to restructure one of the major programs to make the process more efficient. He asked me one question…are you sure you can do it? I said that I could and he said “Don’t let me down”. He allowed me the freedom to test my ability. And I KNEW I would have his support if I failed. When I reached entry into management, I patterned my management style after Ernie….Allow the employees to test their ability and stood firmly behind them always! Although it has been a long time since the last time we spent time together, I feel a great loss…as I said, he was more than my supervisor…he was also a friend. God Bless!
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Uncle Ernie was the sole proprietor and inventor of the “Special Hand Shake”! Every time he would visit all the kids lined up to have him shake their hands like a wet rubber noodle! We loved it!!!!! Your arm would be numb and tingly….. In our younger years the family gatherings would find Uncle Ernie, Pop-pop, Anthony (Jr.) (my father), Uncle Dominic and Uncle Jules all gathered in the kitchen debating over some topic with a nice spiked 7&7. Holidays were a mandated attendance for the family and Uncle Ernie and Aunt Eileen would religiously take the 3 hour drive to Philly (or Mystic Island). Uncle Ernie was always the true gentlemen. He greeted us with a huge smile, a warn hand shake and deep barre tone voice. His signature side burns never seemed to fade either……hmmmm. Uncle Ernie never bragged or flaunted his successes. He was always aware that many times others in the family were facing their own challenges. Never had I ever heard a harsh word leave his lips. He was the consummate gentlemen…always. He never judged anyone but for their character and even then he was a master linguist. To say he was savvy is an understatement. He seized opportunities. When I sat with him this past Christmas he shared many of those opportunities. His one focused goal and vision was to ensure his family, specifically his grand daughters, would have better opportunities for their futures. He achieved his dreams for them. Kuddos to you Uncle Ern! He always told my kids “Nothing is free. Go to school and get an education…..no one hires a dummy” We reverberate that saying quite frequently in the house. So much to ream anise……. The memories are bitter sweet. Tears will fall, our hearts will ache but the smiles and laughter WILL overtake this grief and we will sit together soon and tell the stories. Uncle Ernie will forever live in our hearts. Love you and miss you…. Anthony and Kathryn Ginaldi
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Ernie was a great person and a super employee. Well respected by his peers. I could always count on Ernie being there when I needed him. He will be missed by all. The DeMarco family is in my thoughts and prayers. Danny Capozzoli
Dearest Eileen, I can’t begin to say how deeply, deeply sorry I am by the loss of your beloved husband, Ernie and our dearest and kindest friend too. My heart and thoughts go out to you and Maria, Ryan, Gaetana and Angelina. It is the hardest thing to do to write these condolences to you and your family as I don’t want to believe it. I just again am so devastated for your loss. Please let me know if I can do anything. You know you are family and I send you my love and prayers. God Bless you all. With All My Love, Virginia Harp
Deepest sympathies and prayers of comfort. Kristin Haynes
Dear Eileen, Maria, Ryan, Gaetana, and Angelalina, there are no words we could express to convey our sincere deepest sympathy for the loss of your beloved husband, father and grandfather, Ernie. It has been an honor and a pleasure to have been able to have known him and have our annual Christmas visits over the past 50 years. I know my father especially looked forward to your visits so he could reminisce all things IRS and grandchildren with Ernie. Ernie was always so happy to share stories of all of you and his love for all of you was always apparent. We again are so sorry for your profound loss. Ernie was truly a very special man. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time and always. Love to all of you. Kathleen and Ray Britton
To Eileen, Maria and the whole family, I am so very sorry for your loss. My heart aches for all of you. Ernie was a great guy – always quick with a joke, a laugh, or a story. He was always a wonderful host. I have so many great memories of time spent in the DeMarco home when I was growing up. Ernie loved his family more than anything. My hope is that the love he gave to you will be a comfort to you in the days to come. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers. Much Love, Kelly Schuette & Family
We want to extend our sincere condolences to the entire DeMarco family on the passing of Ernie. We became fast friends with Ernie and Eileen when Jim and Ernie worked together as IRS contractors after retiring from IRS. We always looked forward to our weekly dinners together. After moving to Alabama, we still would get together when we visited Virginia. Ernie was an awesome person that always made everyone around him feel special.. We built our dream houses at the same time and he was always there to offer us advice and guidance when we needed him. We will miss sharing stories of our family and grandchildren. Ernie loved his family very much. His eyes would light up whenever he spoke of Eileen, Maria, Gaetana and Angelina. The love that Ernie had for his friends and family is something that can never be taken away. Hold onto that and know that Ernie is with you always. We pray the love of God enfolds you during your journey through grief. We are thinking of you always and am just a phone call away. With love and caring thoughts, Jim and Linda Massey
Eileen – you have my deepest sympathy on the loss of your husband Ernie. I know how much the two of you cared for each other and how deeply you will miss him. Love you.