Today is a special day for Ralph Del Deo and his family.
The kind that comes just once in a century.
Del Deo, who was born on March 15, 1925, turns 100 years old today.
In addition to his new role as a centenarian, Del Deo is a retired attorney, Palm Beach resident and an honorary Palm Beach Civic Association director since 2009.
His daughter, Katherine “K.T.” Catlin, said her father will mark this rare milestone by doing two things he dearly loves: celebrating with his family while enjoying a major league baseball game Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.
Five generations of the Del Deo family will cheer for Del Deo’s great-grandson, Ryan Vilade, who recently signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and is a non-roster invitee at spring training. The Cardinals are hosting a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“He just wants to be at Ryan’s game and to be around family,” Catlin said of her father. “And he’s getting a lot of family.”
Nineteen family members, including spouses of Del Deo’s descendants, plan to be there at the game.
Afterward, family members will gather at Del Deo’s home to enjoy some old family recipes, including the birthday cake Del Deo’s mother made for him years ago.
Del Deo lives in the North End house that he and his late wife, Blanche Wagner Del Deo, purchased in 2002. Mrs. Del Deo passed away in January 2023 at age 95, just weeks after the couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
“He is what I call a survivor,” Catlin said of her father. “He just stayed true to his purpose of being there for his family. No matter what life throws at him, he marches on.”
Ralph and Blanche Del Deo had four children: Blanche Vilade of Jacksonville, Fla.; Catlin, who is a Palm Beach resident and member of the town’s Architectural Commission; Nicholas Del Deo of Bedminster, N.J.; and Julia Campazzi of West Palm Beach.
There are nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Born in Newark, N.J., Ralph Del Deo attended Newark Academy, The Lawrenceville School, and Princeton University before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He graduated from Rutgers School of Law with honors, then in 1961 co-founded the law firm Crummy, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione (known today as Gibbons P.C.).
The firm specialized in commercial, corporate and intellectual property litigation.
Bob Wright, chairman emeritus of the Civic Association, said Del Deo hired him into the practice shortly after Wright graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1968.
“He was just a really smart guy and a brilliant lawyer,” Wright said. “I worked with him for a couple of years until I went out on my own. I loved every day of it.”
Del Deo argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1979 Curtiss-Wright Corporation v. General Electric Company case; authored texts for the New Jersey Practice Series; served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Committee; and became a lifetime member of the American Bar Association.
Wright and Del Deo have kept in touch through the years.
“He’s just a terrific guy,” Wright said.
One of Del Deo’s greatest passions, which he shared with his wife, has been breeding and showing purebred dogs. Mr. Del Deo’s expertise led him to judge at renowned events, including the Westminster Kennel Club in New York.
Catlin said her father’s century-long journey has been a life well-lived – one defined by integrity, love and service. On Saturday she wants to see him relax and enjoy his family, the ball game, and the beautiful weather.
“I just want to see my father smile and be happy,” she said. “We want him to know he is loved and cared for and that we want him here with us.”
Our Town sponsored by:
