DiMatteo and I discussed that night’s game, the previous game, how the team was playing, etc. He often spoke proudly of his son-in-law, Don “Wink” Martindale, a Trotwood-Madison graduate and longtime NFL defensive coordinator now at Michigan. Martindale is married to DiMatteo’s daughter Laura.
The players knew DiMatteo well, too. He was the last person they saw before running onto the court for pregame warm-ups. He gave them an extra shot of adrenaline, greeting them with joy and affection.
One video I shot in January 2017 shows DiMatteo raising both hands and clapping as a group of players led by senior Scoochie Smith approached him. Smith gave him a fist bump, as did Trey Landers. Kostas Antetokounmpo stopped to scream in excitement with DiMatteo.
Nearly eight years later, in November 2023, a similar scene played out as Dayton’s star, DaRon Holmes II, led the Flyers toward DiMatteo on their march to Tom Blackburn Court.
That scene repeated many times over the years until early last season when health problems prevented DiMatteo from working games. He died in Dayton, the same city where he was born in 1934, on April 14 at 91. I shared the news of his death on X (Twitter) and learned many others had the same experiences with DiMatteo.
“He was a good man,” Cody Joakes wrote in response to my post. “He used to work at the Dragons as well and took his job very seriously and also had a good time.”
“A legend,” Tom Westendorf wrote. “We talked every game and went to the same barber.”
“John is my uncle,” Joe DiMatteo wrote. “He loved the Flyers and had a kind soul. My Dad, Tony DiMatteo, has sat in section 223 for 45 years and would always go down and visit his brother by the tunnel after the games.”
According to his obituary, John was “a proud Army veteran and a graduate of the General Motors Institute” who worked for General Motors for more than 30 years.”
Family and friends will gather to celebrate DiMatteo’s life from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday at Gebhart-Schmidt-Parramore Funeral Home in Miamisburg. A graveside service will follow at Our Lady of Good Hope Cemetery.
DiMatteo’s granddaughter Cassie Young paid tribute to him on Facebook.
“It’s hard to imagine life without his steady presence and the stories he never tired of telling,” she wrote, “but we are so grateful for the years we had with him and the memories he left behind. Papaw lived a full, meaningful life centered around the things he loved most: his family, sports, good food and the stories that connected us all. He found so much joy working at University of Dayton basketball and football games, always proud to be part of something bigger, always lighting up when he got to talk about the teams and the people he met along the way.”
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