Lou D’Addio passed away on July 14, 2014, at the age of 98 and a half. He was truly a great man and a wonderful role model for others. Throughout his life, when he saw an injustice, he acted against it. Lou was always for the underdog or those that were disadvantaged.

He was a notable figure in the Washington DC area in the civil rights movement and the Catholic interracial apostolate at St. Peter Claver Center and the Madonna House. He once walked out of a café with the group he was seated with, when they refused to serve one of their group who was a Black man.

His maid of honor at his wedding was a Black woman, quite noteworthy for 1952. He later got involved in the pro-life movement. He once suffered arrest through nonviolent civil disobedience which closed down an abortion clinic as part of Operation Rescue. He frequently said the rosary in front of abortion clinics. At the end of his life, he joined the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, which works to improve the plight of Palestinian Christians. At that time, he made three trips to the Holy Land. He also was a volunteer at the Catholic Information Center, which operates under the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.

A highlight of his life was a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. He brought back a full-length image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which he framed and which graced his apartment for the rest of his life. He attended daily mass. His favorite restaurant was the Pines of Rome in Bethesda, MD.

He passed away peacefully at the Bartholomew House Assisted Living Facility, with his loving daughter Terry at his side. One of the last things he said was: “People need to love each other more.”