Angelo DiBello, 89, prominent Northeast physician

A lifelong Philadelphia resident, Dr. DiBello was a dedicated physician who continued to make house calls and Nazareth rounds until his retirement last year, his family said.

Raised in Holmesburg, Dr. DiBello was the oldest of five siblings and attended Frankford High School. He served stateside in the Army during World War II, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1954, he graduated from medical school at Hahnemann University and married his childhood sweetheart, Matilda Falcione, with whom he raised three children.

After completing his residency at Nazareth, Dr. DiBello opened his practice in Holmesburg, which for 63 years served thousands of patients in the Northeast. He was a charismatic, "old school" doctor who worked seven days a week and considered his patients like extended family. Many became close friends and were among the estimated 1,100 people who attended his viewing.

"You could really see the pain in the patients' eyes because they just loved him so much," said Dr. DiBello's son-in-law Thomas Holt Jr. "That's kind of unusual these days. You don't see that. He would just spend all the time in the world with his patients."

Holt said Dr. DiBello delivered more than 1,000 babies during the baby boom in the 1950s and '60s, some of whom remained his patients until he retired.

"Specialists would send people to him because he'd seen so much in his career," said Holt, who described Dr. DiBello as a "brilliant diagnostician."

Dr. DiBello, a longtime member of the Union League of Philadelphia, the Torresdale Frankford Country Club, and the American Legion, spent his free time golfing with friends and playing pinochle with his grandchildren. He spent summers in Ocean City, Md., with family.

He received many awards throughout his career, the most cherished of which was the Dr. Stanley J. Skromak Award from the medical staff at Nazareth, his family said.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by son Nicholas; daughters Donna Petroni and Angela Holt; 12 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Services were Monday, April 3.

Donations may be made to Nazareth Hospital, 2601 Holme Ave., Philadelphia 19152.