Obituary: Robert L. DePiro
Robert L. DePiro died on May 21, 2023, after a short illness, joining his beloved wife of 62 years, Louise Cairoli DePiro, who died just five weeks earlier.
Born in Newark on Jan. 23, 1936, Mr. DePiro grew up in Belleville and was a resident of Cedar Grove for the last nine years. Bob and Louise DePiro raised their children and lived most of their lives in Montclair, enjoying the winter months in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in their retirement.
After graduating from Belleville High School in 1953, Mr. DePiro attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a proud brother of Sigma Chi. Always a loyal Terp, he supported the Accounting Development Fund at the College of Business and Management, now the Smith School of Business, for more than 40 years. In 2009, he solidified his legacy by funding an undergraduate scholarship that supports aspiring accounting students from New Jersey.
After college, Mr. DePiro joined the U.S. Army Reserves, passed his CPA, and married Louise Cairoli in 1960. He started his public accounting career of more than 35 years in Manhattan with Bacon, Taylor and Beairsto, which merged with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. and ultimately became KPMG. He was made partner in 1968, eventually leading audits of large multinational clients out of the Newark and then Short Hills offices. Mr. DePiro attended retired/former partner events every holiday season through 2022.
On international business trips, Mr. DePiro always made time in his tight schedule to visit the local zoo, where he knew he could get a glimpse of not just the animals and fauna of his destination city, but a snapshot of the children and host culture as well. The DePiros also traveled to Italy annually, enjoying small towns and large cities.
From childhood, living across the street from Hendricks Field Golf Course, Mr. DePiro and his brothers were avid golfers. Bob and Louise DePiro joined Montclair Golf Club in 1970, where he served as trustee and treasurer for six years. On Hilton Head Island, he was a member of Bear Creek Golf Club. He was a member of Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, South Carolina, and Farmington Country Club at the University of Virginia. A golf history enthusiast, he was a member of the Donald Ross Society. Mr. DePiro was an active member of the NJ Senior Golf Association, where he also served as treasurer then president. His lifelong love of the game brought him to championship courses throughout the United States and the world, often packing his golf shoes even for business trips (“You can always rent clubs; you can’t rent shoes”). In his retirement, he fed his obsession with links golf, enjoying annual trips to the British Isles for marathon 36-hole days until as recently as 2016.
Mr. DePiro also served as trustee of the Newark Museum and volunteered at the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair.
Bob and Louise DePiro developed lifelong friendships throughout the world through golf and business. Mr. DePiro mentored and influenced so many and accomplished so much.
He is survived by his children, Sally A. DePiro, Robert F. DePiro and Valerie E. DePiro; his grandson, Ian James Berman; brother, Ronald DePiro; sisters-in-law, Jerri Ann DePiro and Lena DePiro; nephews and nieces, Br. James DePiro, Marie (DePiro) Hardenberg, David DePiro, Joseph DePiro and Sheri (DePiro) Norton, Ronald DePiro Jr, Gina (DePiro) Condorelli, Matthew Gutknecht and Amanda Gutknecht. He was predeceased by his parents, Jim and Sue DePiro, and his beloved older brother, Jim DePiro.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Robert L. DePiro ‘57 Undergraduate Current Use Scholarship at the Smith School of Business at University of Maryland, College Park or the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair.
A private burial is planned; a Mass and a celebration of life are scheduled at a later date.