Permanent Deacon John J. Davaro, retired, died at Taylor Hospital, on Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

Deacon Davaro was born on July 1, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Saint Agatha Parochial School, Philadelphia, and Saint Thomas More High School, Philadelphia. Deacon Davaro served in the United States Army from November 11,1944 to May 1,1946. He was honorably discharged on November 27, 1946. Following his service in the Army, Deacon Davaro entered the American Institute of Technology receiving a B.S. in Engineering in 1950. He later matriculated at Villanova University and received a Master of Science degree in Applied Statistics in 1963. Deacon Davaro took early retirement to serve the Church when he entered the deacon formation program. Before then he worked for 27 years at RCA corporation as an engineering manager.

Deacon Davaro married Isabelle Bregatta on April 11, 1953, and they had three children (all adopted), Mary Louise, Susan, and Therese. Susan predeceased Deacon Davaro as did Susan's son, John. Both died of cardiac arrest as a result of a genetic predisposition to heart failure.

Deacon Davaro was ordained a permanent deacon on June 2, 1991, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, by Most Reverend Anthony J. Bevilacqua. Deacon Davaro is a long time member of Saint Dorothy Parish in Drexel Hill. He served there from 1991 until 2001 when illness prevented him from exercising his ministry as Deacon. He was officially relieved of his assignment to the parish on March 8, 2010.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, at Saint Dorothy Church, Drexel Hill, beginning at 9:00 AM. Most Reverend John J. McIntyre will celebrate Deacon Davaro's Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Concelebrating the Funeral Mass will be Reverend Michael D. Murphy. The Deacon of the Mass will be Deacon John Suplee and the Deacon Chaplains will be Deacon James Kane and Deacon Karl Hartmann. Father Murphy will be the homilist.

Deacon John is survived by his wife, Isabelle, his daughters, Mary Louise and Therese, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Interment will be at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield.

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