Richard D. Grifo, 90, of Easton, Pennsylvania died on August 6, 2009, in his home, surrounded by his family. He and his wife, the former Leonarda T. Geraci, celebrated 54 years of marriage in February, 2009. Born on January 25, 1919, in Easton, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Antonio Grifo, of Sommatino, Provincia di Caltanisetta, Sicilia and Biagia Trombadore Grifo of Comiso, Provincia di Siracusa, Sicilia. Judge Grifo was the first son of an immigrant to sit on the bench of Northampton County as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He graduated from Easton High School, class of 1936 and served as class president. He graduated Lafayette College in 1940 with a B.A., also serving as class president. He was awarded a senatorial scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he received his L.L.B. in 1943. He was an instructor in the Department of Government and Law at Lafayette College from 1944-1950. From 1944 to 1946 he clerked for the Honorable William H. Kirkpatrick, President Judge, United States Federal Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In 1943, he was admitted to the bar of Northampton County and practiced law for 24 years with late George F. Coffin, Jr., making certain to always serve the needs of first generation Italian-Americans. He was appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County by Governor Shafer in December of 1968 for a one year term. In 1969 he successfully ran for a full ten-year term and was retained for a second ten year term. He served as a senior judge until the Supreme Court mandated retirement for judges over 80 years of age. He left the bench on January 6, 2003 at the age of 84. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, a member of the Judges Advisory Group Program for Women and Girl Offenders and was appointed Vice President of the Minor Judiciary, Education Board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He lectured for the Pennsylvania Banking Institute and served on various educational panels of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges. He co-authored with Anthony Noto a History of the Impact of Italian Immigration into the Easton Area and a History of Italians in Pennsylvania commissioned by the Pennsylvania Historical Association. He was a member of the Northampton County Bar Association, serving as President in 1967, a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, where he served in the House of Delegates, and a member of the American Bar Association. He served as Solicitor for the Borough of West Easton for 21 years and served as Solicitor of the County of Northampton from 1951-1955. A recipient of numerous awards for service to the community, higher education, the bar and civic organizations, Judge Grifo was awarded The Distinguished Service Award at Lafayette College, Citizen of the Year by UNICO of America, Distinguished Service Award from the Institute of Regional Affairs, Wilkes College, the Forks of the Delaware United Fund Distinguished Service Award, and the Distinguished Citizen's Award from the American Legion Brown and Lynch Post in Easton. He served as a Board Member and Past President of the Forks of the Delaware United Way, a Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Moravian Academy, a member of the Northampton Historical and Genealogical Society, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Italian Sons and Daughters of America and served on the Board of the American Red Cross, Easton Chapter, Easton YMCA and chair of the Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary and Wilderness Trust. He was a member of the Pomfret Club, the Northampton County Country Club, the Union League of Philadelphia and the Young Republican Club He was a founding member of the Easton Downtown Improvement Group and member and Past President of the Lehigh-Delaware Development Council. Judge Grifo was a member of the Order Sons of Italy, Lodge No. 30, which in 2005 was renamed the Judge Richard D. Grifo Lodge. An avid outdoorsman, he was a member of the Easton Rod and Gun Club, the Easton Anglers Association, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society. Judge Grifo was a member of St. Anthonys Roman Catholic Church in Easton. In addition to his wife, Leonarda T., he is survived by three daughters, Antonia M. Grifo, Esquire and her husband Ronald W. Shipman, Esquire of Easton, Dr. Francesca T. Grifo, and her husband Dr. William Hahn, of Bethesda, Maryland and Carla Grifo Gunn, and her husband Walter T. Gunn of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, five grandchildren, Paolo Raines Shipman, Marco Richard Grifo Shipman, Aldo Massimo Grifo-Hahn, Luca Leonardo Grifo-Hahn and Luisa Leonarda Gunn, two stepgrandsons, Ronald W. Shipman, II of Pen Argyl and Christopher M. Shipman, Esquire of Easton and his wife Gillian Shipman, Esquire, and a step-great granddaughter, Stella S.R. Shipman, two sisters, Jean Reese, of Easton, Nellie Erkinger, of Allentown, two brothers, James P. Grifo, of Mendham, New Jersey and Anthony P. Grifo, of Wooster, Ohio. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. A brother, Jack Grifo, and a sister, Emily Herbert, predeceased him. Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 2:00pm until 4:00pm, 6:00pm until 8:00pm and on Monday from 8:15am until 9:15am in the Morello Funeral Home, Inc., 3720 Nicholas St. Palmer Twp. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10:00am in St. Anthonys Church, 9th and Lehigh Streets in Easton. Interment will be in St. Anthonys Cemetery, Williams Twp. Online condolences may be offered at www.morellofuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to the Judge Richard D. Grifo Scholarship Fund at Lafayette College, 307 Markle Hall, Easton, PA 18042 or to the Easton Home Health & Hospice Services 3421 Nightingale Dr. Easton, PA 18045 or to Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary and Wilderness Trust, 240 Sunnyside Rd., Easton, PA 18042.