Phillip James DiChiara

Phillip James DiChiara, age 72, passed away on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Benchmark Assisted Living in Franklin, Massachusetts after a lengthy battle with dementia. Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on October 21, 1952, he was the son of the late Phillip A. and Ruth A. (Simmons) DiChiara.

The family moved to Walpole when Phil was a baby, and he attended public schools there, graduating from Walpole High in 1970. In July of 1969, he became one of the first employees of the Walpole McDonald’s, and he worked there all through college, getting great experience in service and in management. Phil continued his education at Boston State College (now UMass Boston), majoring in History and Psychology. After completing his bachelor’s degree in 1974, Phil joined the Seiler Corporation, where he worked as food service director for various hospitals around Eastern Massachusetts, utilizing the service and management skills he learned while working at McDonald's.

Phil married his high school sweetheart, Martha L. Earley, on September 15, 1974, at Saint Jude's Church in Norfolk. The young couple initially made their home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, before spending a brief time in Westborough and then setting down roots in Wrentham in 1976. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a very small backyard party in September of 2024.

In 1981, Phil was recruited by Norwood Hospital to join the organization as the Director of Food Service for both Norwood and Southwood Hospitals. A few years later, Phil was enticed to leave Massachusetts and Food Services and go on to a broader role at Lehigh Valley Medical Center and then to Allentown Hospital, in Allentown, PA. After 5 years in the Allentown area, Phil and Martha decided to return to their native state and in 1989 he assumed the role VP of Facilities at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester. In 1993, Phil moved to a similar position at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. While working at Beth Israel, Phil furthered his education, earning a master's degree in Public Education at Cambridge College. He wrote a course on Integrated Facilities Management and taught it part time at Northeastern University for a number of years.

The 1997 merger of Beth Israel and New England Deaconess brought an opportunity for Phil to leave health care administration and he transitioned to a new career in higher education as the Managing Director of a new organization known as the Boston Consortium for Higher Education. This job became his life’s mission. In this role, he helped to shape the future of some of the Boston area’s largest colleges and universities, by providing a safe place for members of the schools’ administrations to meet, discuss, collaborate, and communicate. He believed strongly in fostering diversity, listening to opposing views, and developing and sharing “best practices”, and was fortunate to meet and work with some really committed and good, intelligent people, many of whom have stayed in close contact with him over many years. He authored and published several professional articles, and collaborated on/edited many others for various colleagues. He was active in several national and international professional organizations both as a member and also in leadership roles including the International Facilities Management Association and the Association for Collaborative Leadership. He valued his meetings and correspondence with these folks and the travel associated with the meetings.

When he wasn't at work building his career and working with people, Phil enjoyed spending time in his yard and nature, building the perfect sanctuary. He planted, he provided wildlife habitat, he built stone walls and patios, a pool, a barn, a courtyard - it was a passion and therapy. He worked tirelessly to make sure everything was just right – and his greatest pleasure came from sharing it with friends and family – especially important was the annual July 4th celebration which his parents began back in 1953, and which Phil and Martha continued from 1976 forward. Several generations of children will have those memories.

While Phil loved his yard, he equally loved his collection of books and old maps and built an impressive library. Forever a student and teacher, and not much interested in fiction, his favorite topics included history, politics, science, culture, business, human behavior and religions. He read most, if not all, of the books he acquired (cheaply of course) from library sales, other people, and in one case he bought a complete library. If you knew Phil, you knew he loved books. No horizontal surface in his work office or home library was without a pile of books, much to his wife’s chagrin.

Following the lead of (but not coerced by) his wife, he became a devoted pet parent to a long list of cats over the years. If he sat to read, there was most likely a cat at his elbow or in his lap. During his last illness, they provided a lot of company and comfort.

Phil was the beloved husband of Martha L. (Earley) DiChiara, devoted brother of Paul R. DiChiara and his wife Kathleen M. Ryan of Norfolk, cherished uncle of Devin Anne DiChiara

Loving brother-in-law to John Earley, David Earley and his wife Lisa, and adored uncle to Patrick Earley and his daughter Rhiannon, and Katie Earley, her husband Simon Whooley, and son Eoghan.

Phil also leaves behind an extended group of family and close friends who helped and supported him (and Martha) over many years and especially during these most recent awful years of his battle with dementia. It is a cruel disease, and it hits hard when the victim is an intellectual who loves learning and reading and interacting with people. At the risk of forgetting anyone, we won’t attempt to name them all here, but they know who they are, and Martha will be eternally grateful to them and to the staff of the Memory Care Unit at Benchmark and the nurses from the Compassionate Care Hospice.

There will be a celebration of life scheduled in the near future, and friends and family will be notifed when arrangements are completed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Phil's name may be made to The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203 or by visiting https://www.nature.org/en-us/ or to a local pet charity of your choice.

Arrangements by James H. Delaney & Son Funeral Home, Walpole.