Getty Images Nyle DiMarco is mourning the loss of his grandfather.
Nyle DiMarco is mourning the loss of his grandfather, Lorenzo, who died at the age of 89. The season 22 “Dancing With the Stars” champion shared the news in a poignant Instagram caption posted on February 15, 2023.
“The world feels empty without you but you’ve lived and led a damn good life,” his Instagram caption read, in part. “I’m blessed to have lived with you in the same household for nearly the entirety of my life. Now, like I almost always call you via FaceTime to fire up the espresso machine prior to my arrival… I sure as hell am expecting a hot espresso for when we reunite. I love you Grandpa,” it continued.
Here’s what you need to know:
Nyle DiMarco’s Grandfather Had a Great Sense of Humor
Starting off his Instagram tribute, DiMarco recalled a joke that his grandfather signed to his doctor at one point before his death: “But the heaven is full.”
“Grandpa Lorenzo had a gift for his swift sense of humor,” DiMarco wrote. He went on to give some background details about his grandfather, who was born in Brooklyn in 1933 to parents who immigrated from Sicily. All of them were deaf.
“This nuclear family never spoke the same mother tongue (and never in English fluently), however, as we all know that love transcends boundaries; They developed a combination of home signs and Italian gestures,” DiMarco’s post read.
“From that point and on, Grandpa knew no boundaries as a Deaf person. Growing up, it always seemed as though Grandpa had done it all as he told endless of stories — from driving a vehicle at 12 years old over the Brooklyn bridge (the phenomenon of the automobiles that subsequently required DMV aka driver’s license etc, did not happen for three-ish more decades) to one of my most favorite stories; Him and his Deaf crew building the United States military aircraft. The Deafies were among the best and the fastest. Now picture the irony — Deaf people were (and are) barred from enlisting in the military but the goddamn military planes were built by my Deaf grandpa’s hands,” he added.
Nyle DiMarco Grew Up With an Abusive Father
DiMarco previously shared his story, growing up deaf in an all-deaf household. In an interview with People magazine in April 2022, DiMarco said that his father, Neal Thompson, used to be abusive.
“I didn’t want to be alone in a room with him,” he said. DiMarco also said this is dad would hit him when his mother wasn’t home, and he’s grateful that his mom was able to get a divorce and move from their home in Brooklyn, New York, to Maryland. “It gave me a real sense of comfort,” DiMarco explained.
DiMarco was very close to his grandfather, who influenced him as a male role model. As he mentioned in his Instagram post, Lorenzo was also deaf, so the two communicated using sign language — which is what they’ve always known.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate because from the first day of my existence I had access to language, communication, to love. I was born to a family that was entirely deaf, just like I was. So I chose to name my book ‘Deaf Utopia’ because I’ve always described my childhood as perfect,” he previously told Entertainment Weekly.
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