DOVER - Joseph D'Aguillo devoted husband, father, and grandfather passed away August 4, 2012, at his home. He was born on November 5, 1920, to the late Antonio and Lucia D'Aguillo in the Bronx, N.Y., the youngest of 18 children. Mr. D'Aguillo worked for over 35 years as a Piping Designer/Engineer first at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and later for Stone and Webster Engineering before his retirement. Mr. D'Aguillo came from humble beginnings growing up on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. He would often talk of the jobs he and his brothers undertook as children – selling shopping bags on street corners, shoveling snow, building pushcarts in order to earn money for their family. Throughout his life, he remained close with his brothers and sisters and their families. A fan of the NY Yankees, he would tell tales of watching Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play baseball. A gifted athlete, Mr. D'Aguillo played semiprofessional baseball in New York until the outbreak of World War II. He enlisted in the US Navy and served as Coxswain aboard the USS Winslow until his discharge in 1945. He attended technical school under the GI Bill and designed piping systems for US naval vessels until the closure of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Employed by Stone and Webster Engineering, Mr. D'Aguillo went on to design heating and cooling systems for petrochemical plants, paper mills and nuclear power plants. His work earned him many awards including a citation from the government of Peru. Mr. D'Aguillo moved to Dover in 2002, and became the first resident of the Maple Glen development. As part of his outgoing nature, he welcomed each new resident to the neighborhood earning himself the title, "Mayor of Maple Glen" which he relished. Before age and ailments took their took, he was an active member of the Elks and the Sons of Italy. He enjoyed playing golf with his friends and through the Modern Maturity Center and growing tomatoes for his many friends and neighbors. He will be remembered as an engaging storyteller with a knack for telling jokes. Mr. D'Aguillo was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth L. D'Aguillo and is survived by his daughter, Debra Roberts and her husband, John, of Dover; his grandon, Lt. Brett Emerson Roberts is currently serving with the US Army, 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 7, 2012, at the Pippin Funeral Home, 119 W. Camden-Wyoming Ave., Wyoming. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 8, 2012, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 631 S. State St., Dover. Burial will be at a later date at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Fund or to the Samaritans at Holy Cross Church. Letters of condolences can be sent via www.pippinfuneralhome.com.