Louis Frank D'Orsaneo

Louis F. D’Orsaneo was called home to the Lord on April 4, 2022 after a brief illness. He is survived by his  children, Lou, Linda, Jim, and Lisa, his daughters in law, Peggy, and Mary, his eight “favorite” grandchildren, Jackie, Nikki (Dimitri), Nicholas (Carolyn), Gina (Steven), Lexie, Anthony, Alaina, and Emily, and his great granddaughter Maya. He adored his late wife Joan, to whom he was married for 58 years, and missed her every day of the 5 years he lived without her. He was a devoted son to his late parents, caring brother to the late Joe (Terri) and Nicholas D’Orsaneo (Deborah), and uncle to his countless nieces and nephews.

If you knew Lou, aka Big Lou, Pop, Pops, Dad, Pop Pop, you loved him instantly. He was a humble, kind, and gentle man, deeply committed to his family and friends. If you were his friend, you were fortunate, and if you were his family, you were blessed. A man of intense faith, he showed his family how to live and love.

Lou was born in Ardmore, Pa. He was a gifted athlete, playing football at Penn State University with future hall of famers, and attending spring training with the then Philadelphia Athletics as a catcher. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps after college, and more than six decades later, still sported a bumper sticker that read “Not as lean, not as mean, but still a Marine.”

He moved his young family to Bowie in the early 1960s for a job, and never left, working for Safeway in corporate management for nearly three decades. He was an original Bowie homeowner and became known as the “Mayor of Trinity Drive” as he sat in his “office” (aka garage) with a cigar and a fine scotch on nice days.

Lou lived a full and independent life until recently. He attended daily mass, followed by his post-mass coffee group, and volunteered at his parish. He was an avid Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies fan, enjoyed spending time at the beach, going to Maryland Live, and played golf weekly—as he would say, badly.

He was known for his many sayings, such as “The humble will be exalted, and the exalted will be humbled” and “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again.” An eternal optimist, he could have had the worst day and when you asked how he was doing, he would respond with “excellent to outstanding, thank you.”

Lou will be missed more than his loved ones could ever imagine. We collectively grieve our loss, but we know he is in Heaven, and having shown us the way through his faith, we will be together one day in the house that the Lord has prepared for us. We are comforted to know he is at peace.

A memorial mass/celebration of life will be held on May 14, at 11 am, Sacred Heart Parish, Bowie Maryland with a reception to follow.