Robert Michael DePiore

NORTH JACKSON - Robert "Rob" Michael DePiore, 63, a gentle soul, went to heaven Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Rob was born July 6, 1962, in Youngstown, a son of William F. DePiore and Ann W. (Patterson) DePiore.

At the age of 7, his family moved to North Jackson. He attended St. Brendan School and graduated from Ursuline High School in 1980. He also took classes at Youngstown State University as a math and computer science major.

Rob’s strong work ethic was planted at Meander Golf Course, where he cut the greens as a young adult, and continued for 36 years at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, where he took pride in cleaning the rectory and attending to the well-manicured grounds.

Rob’s sweet and genuine personality made him many friends along the way — going to Mount Carmel spaghetti dinners, Night at the Races and as a member of its Vestibule Club. During football season, he kindly urged family to meet him at spaghetti dinners at 11 a.m. sharp so he could be home in time to watch his beloved Browns. In his younger years, he helped fill the Greyhound bus that came to the house to pick up fans for Cleveland Browns games. He also followed the Cleveland Indians, now Guardians from an early age, when his family would pile into the station wagon with foil-wrapped hot dogs and head to the stadium.

Bob played in the Mill Creek Junior Baseball League and later mentored young players as a coach. He combined his organizational skills and love of the game to provide entertainment for upward of 200 family members and friends who converged on the family “farm” over the course of 12 years to play “Club Ball” on Sunday afternoons during the summertime. He spent hours preparing the field, calling players, getting equipment ready and making sure the sheet metal home run fence was in place. He liked to win whenever possible and placed his players strategically to make that happen — even once putting another fielder right behind a right fielder for “backup.”

Rob found immense joy in being with his large family. He often stated that he was in the exact middle of the family with five older siblings and five younger ones, using his position to bring his siblings together for countless hours of fun by organizing tennis matches, backyard football games and ping-pong tournaments. His competitive spirit encouraged all to rise to the occasion, yet he sometimes had to navigate conflicts — especially for ping-pong games. One sibling joked that playing ping-pong was more stressful than going to medical school. His self-made games of Password were a staple on holidays and at birthday parties and provided many laughs. He skillfully prepared clues relating to family events and was not forgiving when time ran out for an answer.

Some activities Rob enjoyed were getting up early to take daily walks and cheering on his siblings, nieces and nephews — including great-nieces and great-nephews — at sporting events. He had a unique talent for recall: he could remember critical plays of family members’ sporting events from over 40 years ago — like a brother’s pitch that won a playoff game or his sister being put in at pitcher in extra innings — and their batting averages from any given year. He could recall in detail statistics from Browns and Guardians games, especially for years when they made the playoffs. When he felt well enough, he enjoyed keeping the house in order and cutting several acres of grass.

Rob liked to send cards. He put his heart into his messages and let each person know what he cherished about them. He bought gifts with care and thoughtfulness and had a special place in his heart for his great-nieces and great-nephews. All would marvel at Christmastime when he brought out his lists and piles of gifts, usually wrapped by the end of October.

Faith was important to Rob. He attended daily Mass with his mother at various churches, including St. Dominic Church and Our Lady of the Lakes / St. James Church, where he ushered and attended weekly Bible study.

A constant challenge for Rob was dealing with mental illness, which he endured for 45 years. He went through many years of suffering and came to believe it brought him to a deeper relationship with God. “Whether you have success, failure or suffering on this Earth, all three bring you closer to God. It’s all meaningful — even suffering.”

Rob will be remembered for his thoughtful and caring ways, perseverance, ability to bring people together and his courage in sharing about his mental illness with others. His sense of humor and knack for storytelling were a source of laughter for many. Rob has gifted us with a lifetime of precious memories.

Rob is survived by his mother, with whom he made his home; his siblings, Ann Pasquerilla, Bill DePiore, Mary DePiore Hlebovy, Margaret DePiore Neiheisel, James (Trish) DePiore, John (Vicky) DePiore, Wilma DePiore (Phil Pillin), Donald DePiore and Joni (Jim) Reardon; and many beloved nieces and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; and cousins.

In addition to his father, Rob was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas DePiore; an infant brother, William; his brother-in-law, Joe Pasquerilla; and his brother-in-law, Allan Hlebovy.

The family extends sincere gratitude to Dr. Lauren Smit, Dr. Shila Mathews and Rob’s team at Cleveland Clinic; and his counselor at Coleman Health Services, Maureen Coughlin.

Family and friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 22, at Kinnick Funeral Home, 477 N. Meridian Road, Youngstown.

A funeral service, officiated by Rob’s godfather, Msgr. Kenneth Miller, will take place at noon Wednesday at the funeral home

Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Robert’s memory to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Youngstown, 144 W. Wood St., Youngstown, OH 44503, or online at www.ccdoy.org; or to the NEOMED Foundation, 4209 State Route 44, Rootstown, OH 44420. Online donations may be made at neomed.edu/give/tribute. Donations to NEOMED in memory of Robert DePiore will be earmarked for the BeST Center Fund, which helps improve the lives of those living with schizophrenia, their families and other affected individuals.