May your future life be as explosive as the fireworks and your memories
sustain your every day. Happy 4th of July…which brings me to larger than life heroes…of which there are many.

The Biggest Hero in my Life…My Dad

(left, my dad Louis J. Izzo with his brother Tom, 1944)

Louis J. Izzo...a quiet hero to many, a man with an unbreakable spirit died  October 30, 2009. He was 84 years young.

He was especially proud of his 30 months of service in the U.S. Air Force as an Aerial Engineer-Gunner on B-24 Consolidated Liberators (Bombers). He flew 51 missions in the European Theater of War stationed in southern Italy.

He retired from the New York City Police Department in 1972 and moved to St. Petersburg, Fl. My dad was a man of many talents and there were not many skills he couldn’t master, some of which included bricklaying, plumbing, electrical, and mostly anything he put his mind to.

He was most proud of being part of the first Diaconate Program of the Diocese of St. Petersburg which he joined in 1983. As a member of Sacred Heart Church In Pinellas Park, his ministry focused on the elderly and nursing homes.

A life well-lived life is a precious gift of hope and strength and grace from someone who has made our world a brighter, better place. Thank you Dad for always be a larger than life hero and a loving, lasting memory my grateful heart will always treasure.