Born October 26, 1954 in Tooele, Utah, Benjamin John DiCaro (“Banjo”) died peacefully at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home on Sunday, July 23, 2023. He married Yoshie DiCaro on Nov. 14, 1974 in Naha, Okinawa, Japan; later divorced.
Banjo grew up in Price, Utah and for many years was a member of the American Legion Price Post 3 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, as well as the Gulf War.
Banjo proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and later in Oceanside and Twentynine Palms, California. He specialized in tactical communications and held top secret security clearance during his service.
He then returned to Price, Utah where he proudly served and retired from the Utah Army National Guard. He was also a retired coal miner where he worked for many years for Utah Power and Light at Deer Creek Coal Mine, working as a demolition lead on the longwall. Early in his career, he won a coal shoveling contest which earned him the nickname, “Banjo”, after the banjo shovel.
He enjoyed his retirement years in Magna, Utah and loved to garden, hunt and fish, play strategy games, and collect antiques.
Banjo is survived by his father Mario DiCaro, his three siblings, Becky Tallerico (Roland), Kelly DiCaro, and Travis DiCaro, his daughters Maria DiCaro and Sophia DiCaro (Robert Goodick), and his grandchildren, Raiden Baker, Benjamin Kunkler, Anton Goodick, Masami Goodick and Nash Goodick. He was preceded in death by his mother Marta DiCaro, his partner Angel, and his granddaughter Kimiko Baker.
Funeral service will be at Valley View Memorial Park in West Valley City, Utah on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. A viewing will be held from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, followed by a service at 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. A military burial service will take place at 1:00 pm at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park near Camp Williams.