Michael Derrico

Michael Derrico, 93, of Washington, passed away peacefully Friday morning, January 31, 2014, at Hawthorne Woods, Washington. He was born May 18, 1920, in Loudonville, Ohio and was raised in Washington. He was the son of the late Antonio and Carmela Bianca Derrico. In 1941, he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force and was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. In 1945, he was discharged with the rank of staff sergeant. He returned to Washington and worked for Albert's Meat Packing until 1946 when he re-enlisted in the Air Force. He was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and was a crew chief. On September 5, 1958, Mr. Derrico married Josephine Owen Taylor. In 1960, his crew was transferred to Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio. In 1962, he was discharged with the rank of tech sergeant. After his discharge, they bought a farm in Charles County, White Plains, Maryland. They built and operated a green house on the farm, and he worked as a civilian aircraft mechanic at Fort Belvoir, retiring in 1967. When he was a young man, his cousin taught him to play the guitar. During his years in the service, he was always a member of a small band that entertained at various events. When he moved to Maryland, he joined a band that often included entertaining veterans at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Charlotte Hall, Maryland. In 1995, his wife's health started to decline and he took care of her at home until she died in 1998. He stayed in Maryland until June 2013 when he came back home and moved into Hawthorne Woods. Surviving are his nephew Samuel (Patricia) Osso; great nieces Mindy (Richard) Earliwine and Lisa (David) Hasson; niece Virginia (John) Ullom and great nephew John (Jodi) Alberta; and niece Mary Ann Fox, all of Washington; great nephew Thomas (Barbara) Fox of Smithfield, North Carolina; nieces Susan (David) Morgan of Washington and Lisa Fox (James) Hawranko of Pittsburgh; niece Margaret (John) Skariot of Washington; great nieces Jennifer (Brandt) Bowman of Mt. Lebanon and Lisa Skariot of Pittsburgh; nephew Edward (Jill) Joseph of Allentown; great nephew John Joseph; niece Michele Solomon of DuBois; great nieces Tami Head of Biloxi, Mississippi and Shelly (Lewie) Terrebone of Altoona; great nephews John Solomon of Brookville and Joshua Solomon of DuBois; nephew David (Michele) Joseph and great niece Emily of DuBois; great nephew Shaun Joseph of San Diego, and several great-great nieces and nephews. Deceased, in addition to his wife, are two sisters Elvera Osso and Valverdine Joseph; his brother Arthur; his nephews Samuel Osso, Jr., Harry Fox, and Anthony Solomon; and his niece Rebecca Joseph. The family will have a private service at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil Township where his brother, Arthur, is buried.