David DiRito

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, David Charles DiRito, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his sleep in Boulder, CO. He was seventy-four years old.

Born in Florence, CO on March 22,1950 to Vita and Bennie DiRito, David graduated from The Abbey School in Canon City, CO in 1968. In 1972 he graduated from The University of Colorado in Boulder, CO with a BA in Psychology and shortly after began his career at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital as a Behavior Health Specialist where for 24 years he assisted in developing and administering The Circle Program, a mind, body, and spirit approach to mental health care and addiction, alongside his mentor. From

1985-1989, while working at the hospital full time and providing for a family of three kids, David completed his MA in Psychology. From 1994-2020 he shifted his focus at the hospital and served as Systems and Health Data Analyst for a long and rewarding career spanning nearly 50 years.

David met the love of his life, Vickie in their teens and they were married for fifty-two years. David is survived by their three children James DiRito, Melissa DiRito-Knupfer, and Dara DiRito-Cullen, sons-in-law James Chan, Franz Knupfer, and Matt Cullen, and their two grandchildren, Olive Cullen and Leo Knupfer. David is also survived by his sisters, Pamela (Jack) Laughlin and Vivian (Ken) Jeffcoat.

As a person, David was present in the most meaningful ways—offering love, wisdom, generosity, and unwavering support. His family, friends, and community will always remember him as a source of kindness, encouragement, and a safe haven. He believed deeply in the power of knowledge to foster empathy and understanding, values he passed on to his three children. A life devoted to the study of mental health therapy, he exuded a remarkable ability to make people feel seen and valued.

His fascination with psychology and the human mind guided much of his life’s journey. He enthusiastically favored topics that expanded his understanding of psychology, spirituality and philosophy. A lifelong learner, David was rarely without a book in hand, and he loved spending hours in bookstores.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 28th, 2025, at 10am at St Benedict’s Catholic Church, 622 W 2nd St, Florence, CO 81226 with a reception

to follow . For questions or general information about the memorial service, please contact Dara DiRito-Cullen at (720) 232-6132.

We are forever grateful for the amazing care that David received from both the palliative care team and hospice team at TRU Community Care as he battled Parkinson’s Disease. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to TRU Community Care at www.trucare.org/donate or by mail at 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Lafayette, CO 80026.