Obituary of Daniel R. Donofrio

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Daniel R. Donofrio, who passed away peacefully in the presence of family on Friday, May 16 at the age of 92. Born in Elmira, NY he was a devoted husband to Joan, loving father to Melissa (Jackie) C. Schroeder and Mark (Faye) Donofrio, beloved grandfather to Maria (Randy) Mieczkowski, Emily (Buzz) Evans, Nicolas Donofrio and the famous “Papa Danny” to Brian, Brantley, Tripp, Scarlett, Aria, Violet and Tommy.  He is also survived by his sister, Theresa Diliberto along with several special nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by his parents, Pasquale and Lena Donofrio, his sister, Rosalie Losito, and his brother, Anthony Donofrio.

He resided his entire life in Elmira, outside of the time spent serving in the United States Army where he enjoyed telling stories of well-loved treats coming from home during his time in Korea. He married his beautiful wife on April 14, 1956, at St. Anthony’s Church and just recently celebrated his 69^th wedding anniversary.

His two biggest passions were his family and his music. He was best known for his generous spirit, his knack for telling a funny joke and his unwavering love for live music. He began playing in the Artic League Orchestra at the age of sixteen and returned every year for 60 years during their annual Christmas fundraiser. He was most known for playing the drums in local clubs as “Danny Dee” in his younger years although as he got older, he played the trombone with Joey Cavallaro’s Dixieland Jazz Band. He played at Music in the Park events where people hoped they would catch him singing his rendition of “It Had to Be You” or the few times that he brought along his accordion.

He retired after 35 years of work from Hardinge Brothers, Inc where he worked as a Traffic Coordinator. He often talked about being able to retire at 59, and the joy it brought him to be able to spend time with family, friends, playing music, and doing outdoor work at home.  His favorite hobby was tending to the lawn and his garden. He loved to grow basil and all varieties of tomato plants.

In his later years he genuinely enjoyed his day outings with his beloved wife where they were often known by name at Wegmans, Libs, the Starlight Room, and Tioga Downs.

Family and friends are invited to a Holy Mass in his honor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 224 Franklin St., Elmira, NY 14904 on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. with a celebration of his life at 12:00 noon at the Hibernian Center, 701 Kinyon St., Elmira, NY 14904.