Emilio (Milo) De Angelis was born on May 13th, 1923 in Castro Dei Volsci, Frosinone, Italy and passed away on May 28th, 2016 at his residence in Vernon, B.C. just fifteen days after celebrating his 93rd birthday.
Milo will be lovingly remembered by his wife Carolyn Rose (affectionately known as Dolly), to whom he was married for 40 years; his daughter, Carol (Jim) Burry; his step-son, Craig Brown; his step-daughter, Melissa (David) Weaver; his grandchildren, Danielle (Curtis) Usher, Christopher Dyke, Kara Burry and David Burry; his sister, Rose McNiven; his nephews, Ray McNiven, David McNiven, Johnny (Dana) Reid, Ryan (Amy) Reid and Reagan Reid; his niece, Arlene McNiven; his cherished friends, Barb and Robbie, who, over the past 24 years were included as family to Milo and Dolly; and many other grandchildren, great-grandchildren nieces, nephews, extended family and close cherished friends. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marie De Angelis; and two brothers, George and Sav.
Milo spent his early years in Italy and when he was seven years of age his mother Loretta, with her three sons and one daughter left their homeland, boarded the S.S. Saturnia, sailing from Napoli on November 14th, 1930 and eventually arriving at the Port of New York on November 25th, 1930. Here they were to join Salvatore, Loretta’s husband, who had come earlier and made a home ready for them in Detroit, Michigan. Milo was trained as a Tool and Die Maker, and with his trade he moved to Seattle after the war to work for Boeing Aircraft. During these years he learned to fly and owned his first plane, a Piper J3. Milo decided to leave the States and came up to beautiful British Columbia and in 1951 he was known to have had one of only three privately owned float planes in the province. After having been here for a while Milo went on a visiting trip to Louisiana where he met Dolly. She decided to leave the States and returned to B.C. with Milo. On April 22nd, 1976 they were married in Burnaby. In the early 1980s, Milo came to Vernon and scouted out a beautiful piece of property on Old Kamloops Road. A couple of years later, after a house was built, Milo and Dolly settled into their dream home, where he remained until his death.
Milo was an extremely gifted man and was quite the accomplished inventor in his own right. He invented and patented the first belt driven conveyor for car washes. Milo was known for the building of float planes for most of his working career. He was also involved in rebuilding and modifying numerous Piper aircraft. His last and most notable aircraft that he built was the Bushmaster and he was still flying it right into his 80s. Milo loved nothing more than to talk about all the different airplanes that he had owned and flown. For over 50 years he loved to hunt and fish in very remote areas of B.C. There was not a lake that he could not fly into and locations that others could not access, Milo could. He loved nature and wherever there was sky to fly in or water to fish in, there he was the happiest.
In keeping with his wishes, Milo was cremated and there will be no funeral service held. As an expression of sympathy, those who wish to do so may send donations in memory of Milo to the Young Pilots of Aviation, COPA, Suite 903 - 75 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7.
Cremation arrangements were made with BETHEL FUNERAL CHAPEL LTD., 5605-27th Street, Vernon, B.C. V1T 8Z5 • 250-542-1187