7 minute read
The De Maio Family: Sinking Roots in Marple
Resident Feature by Holly Stupak
Photos by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
This month we are pleased to introduce you to the De Maio Family: Pete, Tricia and their seven children. From New Jersey to Phoenixville to Havertown, the De Maios are now sinking their roots in Marple.
Tricia and Pete are high school sweethearts from south Jersey. Pete was a sophomore at St. Augustine Prep when he found out that he’d be transferring to a new school, Sacred Heart High School. “I really didn’t want to change schools and leave all my friends,” Pete recalled, “but it turned out to be a blessing.” When he got to Sacred Heart, he met Tricia, also a sophomore there. The two clicked. Now, 17 years of marriage and 7 kids later, the De Maios say their faith has gotten them through the ups and downs of life and marriage and has made them stronger.
Tricia and Pete De Maio
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
After graduating from high school, Pete took classes at St. Joseph’s University, and eventually transferred to Temple University, where he studied Risk Management and Insurance. During college, Pete worked as a salesman for Cutco Knives, working his way up to District Manager. He opened up a Cutco office in Arizona, but after a year, he and Tricia were starting a family and wanted to be close to their parents and siblings. He then decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps, and he started working in the insurance business back in Pennsylvania.
Tricia had grown up on a farm in Vineland, NJ, as the oldest of four girls. After graduating from Sacred Heart High School, she went on to earn her BSN from Villanova University in 1999. Tricia said going to Villanova was a lifelong dream, and she found their nursing program challenging and rewarding. While a student there, she did her clinical rotation at Presbyterian Hospital in West Philadelphia, and after graduation, she was offered a job on that hospital’s Orthopedics floor.
Tricia and Pete dated all through college. Just as they were starting their careers, Pete’s family was faced with not one but two devastating cancer diagnoses: His mother and his brother Mike were diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Pete said his brother’s terminal diagnosis not only opened him up to a closer relationship with God, but it prompted him to make a big commitment to Tricia. “One night when we were having a family dinner, my brother Mike pulled me aside,” recalled Pete. “He said to me ‘You love Tricia, right? So why don’t you marry her already?’ I realized then that I didn’t know what I was waiting for.”
The couple quickly began planning their wedding, even moving it up sooner than they originally planned so Mike would be there to attend it. Pete’s mother survived her bout with NHL, but sadly, Mike passed away in August 2003, only three months before the wedding.
The De Maio Children
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
In August 2005, Pete and Tricia welcomed their first child, Petey, who was born on his Uncle Mike's birthday. “Petey even reminds us of Mike! He’s happy-go-lucky and doesn’t take anything for granted,” said Pete. Petey is a sophomore at Devon Prep where he plays on the basketball and baseball teams.
Their son Nicky was born only 13 months after Petey, and the boys are very close, sharing a bedroom and a love of sports. “Nicky is our jokester,” said Tricia. “He’s always trying to make one of us laugh.” He also plays baseball and basketball for Devon Prep, and he and his brother Petey have both played for the Marple Newtown Basketball Association and the Marple Newtown Baseball League.
The De Maios’ oldest daughter, Alyssa, is Tricia’s “right-hand woman” because “she’s like a little mom,” said Tricia. “She’s mature and organized, and if someone needs help, she’s right there.” A 7th-grader at St. Dot’s in Drexel Hill, Alyssa’s favorite sport is field hockey, and she also plays softball and basketball.
After a few years of a “break” in between having children, Pete and Tricia’s fourth, Jenna, was born. With several years separating her from her older siblings, Jenna is more like a first born child. Her parents describe her as unique and full of drama. Jenna is a fourth grader at St. Dot’s and she participates in gymnastics and on local soccer, basketball and softball teams.
Next is Vincenzo, a 3rd-grader at St. Dot’s. Known as the family favorite, he adores his mom and looks up to his older brothers, especially when it comes to sports like football, basketball and baseball.
Six-year-old Gia, a 1st-grader at St. Dot’s, was the baby of the family for five years. Tricia said Gia runs the house and dominates the family with her loud, outgoing personality.
Last but not least is 18-month-old Giovanni, who Tricia says is their easiest child since someone in the family is always doting on him.
When Pete and Tricia were first married, they bought a home in Phoenixville, and Tricia continued to work at Presbyterian Hospital while Pete continued working for Cutco. Tricia and Pete were lucky to have a lot of help from Tricia’s parents who babysat while Tricia worked her shifts at the hospital. She also took classes towards her Nurse Practitioner degree, which she hopes to finish when the time is right. After Jenna was born, Tricia decided to take a break from her job as a nurse, to become a stay-at-home mom. “I really loved being a nurse,” said Tricia, “but I love being able to be home with the kids and involved in everything from their schools to sports and helping with homework. I was working when my older kids were young, so I really appreciate the time I have now with the younger ones.”
The De Maio Family
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
In 2008, Pete opened his own Allstate agency in Drexel Hill, and he recently opened a second location in Langhorne.
Pete also said what is great about running his own agency is the flexibility it offers him. “Tricia and I really have to ‘divide and conquer’ when it comes to the kids. I love how my schedule allows me to help with the carpooling and I’m able to attend the kids’ sporting events,” he added.
After living in Phoenixville and then Havertown for many years, Tricia and Pete began looking for more space for their large family. In August 2019, they found the perfect house in Broomall.
Every summer, the De Maios like to spend as much time as they can at the Jersey shore, at Pete’s parents’ home in Ventnor. “I love being able to give my kids some of the same experiences I had as a child,” said Pete. “We spend a lot of time at the beach and riding bikes on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.” The De Maio family also loves all things Disney, and they have enjoyed several family vacations at their Walt Disney World timeshare, which Tricia and Pete purchased in 2001, before they started their family.
One of the most meaningful trips Pete took was with his mother in 2013, to the National Centre for Padre Pio, a spiritual destination in Barto, PA, that honors the beloved Saint Padre Pio. Known as a place of healing, peace and tranquility, his mother wanted to go there, to pray for her own health. After recovering from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2005 and underwent many rounds of treatments. But for the past several years she has been cancer-free. “I can’t explain it,” said Pete. “My mom is a living miracle. She no longer suffers with cancer and it can’t be explained by modern medicine.”
The De Maio Family at their home in Broomall
Photo by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
Moving to a new home in a new town is a big decision for anyone, but moving a large family and helping everyone acclimate to a new area was super-challenging! We are thankful the De Maio Family chose to be our friends and neighbors in Broomall, and we thank them for sinking roots here!
Do you know a Broomall resident, family or organization that should become known by our community? Email your nominations for upcoming feature articles to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.
