Maybe you knew him as a neighbor and a friend, or through his work on Steubenville City Council.

Maybe you knew him as an educator in the Edison Local School District.

However you knew Gerald “Yonk” DiLoreto, you knew a person who dedicated his life to helping his community and all of its residents, a person who cared about getting things done.

That’s how DiLoreto, who died late last month at age 83, is being remembered.

He spent many years as a member of Steubenville City Council.

A lifelong Democrat, DiLoreto was never afraid to cross party lines or take tough stands to do what was righ.

His professional life was spent at Edison Local, teaching and serving as assistant principal at Knoxville Elementary School; serving as assistant principal and then principal at the former Jefferson Union High School; and as principal at Richmond Elementary School.

DiLoreto was passionate about his neighborhood and the people who lived there. He also had a deep involvement with area baseball, serving as a longtime member of the Steubenville Umpires Association. While all of that is important, it’s likely that his work to help restore Beatty Park will be among his longest-lasting legacies. Standing up for what you believe in and what you know is right, always finding time to help — it all adds up to a rich legacy.

DiLoreto made our community a better place to live, and for that, he should always be remembered.