Armand's Army Raises More than $7,000 to Honor Kings Park Man's Life

More than 40 friends and family honored the life of a Kings Park man by walking in Long Island Pancreatic Cancer Walk at Jones Beach this Sunday. 

Armand's Army raised more than $7,388 in honor of the late Armand Di Pardo, a Kings Park man who died on Sept. 13 of pancreatic cancer. He was 55. 

Di Pardo was a life-long volunteer who spent more than 30 years working for LILCO, National Grid and served as president of the Board of National Grid Employees Association. 

“Armand was always first to raise his hand and volunteer,” said Ray Homburger, a manager at National Grid. “He made people better just by being around him. If Armand was there, you wanted to help.”

Despite a year-long battle against pancreatic cancer, Pardo was an active volunteer leading National Grid's company-wid blood drives as well as serving at local soup kitchens, participating in food runs for Hauppauge-based Island Harvest, packing boxes for oversea soldiers with Jacob's Light Foundation, building homes for Habitat for Humanity and more. 

“It was NEVER about him. It was always just about who needed help and how we were going to get it done,” said Lynn Falanga, a senior analyst at National Grid. “He really did so much more than anyone would know because he wasn’t the type to talk about it, just do it. But the fact is, he touched so many lives … people he knew, people he would get to know through all the activities he was involved in through work and community service.”

Di Pardo started working at LILCO in 1980 and stayed with National Grid for more than 30 years. He joined as a member of the IBEW local and became a shop steward for 30 years before serving as an IBEW Executive Board member for two terms. Di Pardo was a member of several negotiating and regional committees. 

Di Pardo is survived by his wife, Loretta and three children, sons Jake and Steve and his daughter Lisa who worked with him at National Grid.