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Joseph Andrew DiPrete-DiGioia
Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home
(Oct 7): Joseph Andrew DiPrete-DiGioia, beloved son of Maura DiPrete and Michael DiGioia and
brother of Matthew, died Oct. 4, 2003 while doing one of the many things he loved.
Joe had just celebrated his 14th birthday and was excited to be starting his high school courses at
Belfast Area High School where he enjoyed his learning but mostly loved being with his schoolmates.
He was proud to be a member of the track and cross country teams last year at THMS and now at BAHS;
he said the camaraderie and fun with teammates were the most important part to him.
Another passion of Joe's was climbing on the rocky shores of Belfast and exploring the town with
friends.
Joe loved biking around and having adventures and fun with his brother and friends as well as
reading, music and whatever would strike his curiosity.
Joe especially enjoyed being at home with his family. Holidays and visits with cousins, aunts and
uncles filled him with joy; traveling throughout New England and across the country to Washington
to do so. He also recently explored Washington, D.C. with his Mom and had plans to see much more of
the world.
Joe leaves behind a saddened but all the more loving community from knowing him.
Besides his 15-year-old brother Matt, and his parents, Joe's family includes Grandma Carol, many
aunts, uncles and cousins who all love him dearly and will miss him deeply.
Family and friends are invited to gather from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Crabiel-
Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., for a wake.
A memorial service for all who wish to help celebrate Joe's life will be held on Thursday, Oct. 9
at 10 a.m at St. Francis of Assisi Church on Court Street in Belfast.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Joseph DiPrete-DiGioia Memorial Fund c/o Camden
National Bank, Main St., Belfast, 04915.
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Articles after Joseph's death. Link to
By Walter Griffin, Of the NEWS Staff e-mail Walter Joseph
Last updated: Monday, October 6, 2003 DiPrete-DiGioia
Teen runner dies in Belfast Memorial Foundation
Freshman collapses at meet
BELFAST - A 14-year-old boy from Belfast Area High School apparently collapsed and died while
running through the woods in a weekend cross country meet, authorities said Sunday.Joseph Diprete-
DiGioia of Belfast was competing Saturday in the second annual Maine XC Festival of Champions when
he collapsed on or near the running path behind the Troy Howard Middle School.
Police Chief Allen Weaver said the last recorded sighting of Diprete-DiGioia was when he passed the
first checkpoint.
When the freshman runner failed to emerge from the woods at the finish line, his parents notified
organizers and an extensive search was mounted. He was found sometime later beside the running
trail at approximately 3 p.m.
Butch Arthers, principal of the high school, was at the meet.
"This is my 14th year [as a school faculty member] and this is the first time we've had a student-
athlete death at school occur during a season," Arthers said.
"He was a bright student and well-liked by everybody he hung out with," Arthers said.
The death was not considered suspicious, and an autopsy will be performed to determine its cause.
The school department reacted to the death by organizing its crisis team and scheduling counseling
sessions.
Grief counselors were made available Sunday afternoon at the high school. Support staff will also
be available for Belfast Area High School and Troy Howard Middle School students during the week,
said Bob Young, SAD 34 superintendent.
"We're certainly very sad about what happened and very sympathetic to what the family is going
through at this time," Young said Sunday. "We will have the staff in place to try and keep things
as normal as possible, which is difficult in a case like this. Anything like this has a sobering
and moving effect on a school because it happens unpredictably. We are working with our crisis team
and it was a very somber group that met here this morning."
Diprete-DiGioia was competing in the second race of the day when he collapsed. There were about 160
runners in his group.
Two more races were held after the race Diprete-DiGioia was in.
Weaver said more than 550 runners from across the state took part in the all-day event.
Arthers said he was unsure what the death would mean for the school's cross country team. "I don't
know their plans. They're going to get together after school [Monday] and talk about what's going
to happen."
Ryan McLaughlin, a Bangor Daily News sports clerk who was doing a story on the meet, was present
when word of the death spread Saturday.
"During the course of the awards ceremony, the Belfast athletes were going in and out of the gym as
I was doing an interview, so I thought something was up," McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin attended the meet with the Brewer High School cross country team and learned of Diprete-
DiGioia's death from Brewer coach Glendon Rand, who announced it to the team on the bus.
"It's just a tragic ending to what had been a great day. We were all shocked and everyone got real
quiet," McLaughlin said.
The Belfast course is 3.1 miles and is also the site of the high school cross country championships
for eastern Maine.
NEWS sportswriter Andrew Neff contributed to this story.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Further tests are planned to explain runner's death
Associated Press
©Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BELFAST — An autopsy on a 14-year-old boy who collapsed and died during a cross country meet was
inconclusive Monday. Further tests are planned to determine why Joseph Diprete-DiGioia died,
according to the state medical examiner's office in Augusta. Despite the autopsy results, officials
said there was nothing suspicious about the boy's death.
A search was organized after Diprete-DiGioia never made it across the finish line Saturday
afternoon in the Maine XC Festival of Champions. His body was found near the running path behind
Troy Howard Middle School.
Police Chief Allen Weaver said the last sighting of the runner was when he passed the first
checkpoint.
Belfast Area High School Principal Butch Arthers described Diprete-DiGioia as a bright student who
was well-liked by his peers.
Grief counselors were made available Sunday at the high school. Support staff also will be
available for Belfast Area High School and Troy Howard Middle School students during the week, said
Bob Young, School Administrative District 34 superintendent.
"We will have the staff in place to try and keep things as normal as possible, which is difficult
in a case like this. Anything like this has a sobering and moving effect on a school because it
happens unpredictably. We are working with our crisis team and it was a very somber group that met
here this morning."
Diprete-DiGioia was competing in the second race of the day when he collapsed. There were about 160
runners in his group.
Altogether, more than 550 runners from across the state took part in the all-day event, Weaver said.
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http://www.boston.
com/news/local/maine/articles/2003/10/07/officials_look_at_race_protocol_following_teen_death/
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Courier Publications
Largest turnout ever flips for Pancake Run
BELFAST - On Sunday, more than 200 people ran, jogged or walked the 11th Annual Pancake Run 5K in
Belfast in honor of Joe Diprete-Digioia. This was the largest turnout in the race's history.
"It was awesome," said race organizer Anna Wood-Cox. "There were 167 runners competing, and 50
others walking in Joe's memory."
This event is traditionally a benefit for the Belfast Area High School cross country teams, but
this year, the Lion runners preferred the money go toward the Joseph Diprete-Digioia Scholarship
Fund. Diprete-Digioia is the Belfast runner who died Oct. 4 during a cross country race.
"The athletes wanted the money to go to Joe," said Wood-Cox. "We raised over $1,000, possibly as
much as $1,500 - we'll see when we finish paying all the bills."
The Pancake Run, held every year on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend, begins at Belfast Area High
School and loops to the end of Cedar Street, to Court Street, then back to Cedar and back to the
high school.
After the race, runners are treated to organic pancakes from Fiddler's Green of Belfast. "All the
runners love them," said Wood-Cox.
In past years, the Belfast cross country runners have served as spotters for the race, passing out
water and marking the route, but, after the passing of their teammate, this year was obviously
different.
"Instead of being spotters, the team ran the race together," said Belfast cross country coach Jo-
Ann Nealey.
Nealey said Camden Hills cross-country team members volunteered to be spotters at this year's race.
"I was happy I was able to be part of the day," said Nealey.
The top three finishers in the men's division were: 1. Kenny Bettis at 17:07; 2. Phil LeBreton and;
3. Hugh McLean.
The top three women were: 1. (11th overall) Nealey at 18:34; 2. Angela Ewings and; 3. Amy Potvin.
Last year, approximately 120 people participated.
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The Waldo Independent
A look at local sports in 2003
By Toni Mailloux
BELFAST (Jan 4, 2004): 2003 was a year of
tremendous highs in the sports arena but also
of an overwhelming loss. Oct. 4,
14-year-old Joseph DiPrete-DiGioia of Belfast
collapsed and died while doing something he
loved-—running in a cross-country meet for
Belfast Area High School. The cause of
his death at the third annual Maine Cross-
Country Festival of Champions has not been
determined but it hit many athletes at
both the high school and middle school and in
the community hard.
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Race attracting top runners to Belfast course
Saturday, October 02, 2004 - Bangor Daily News
Today, 42 high school cross country teams from Caribou to Cumberland, R.I., will converge on one of the most fan-friendly
courses in the state for perhaps the biggest meet in the state. The third annual Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions
will take place at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast with more than 800 runners competing on the 3.1-mile course.
The meet will get under way at 11:25 a.m. Following the National Anthem by Jesse Wakeman of Belfast, a moment of
silence will be held in remembrance of Joseph Diprete-Digioia, the 14-year-old Belfast freshman who collapsed and died
during last year's meet.
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Republican
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September
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