David D. Caprara, 80, a life-long resident of Norwalk, Ohio, passed away on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, surrounded by his family. He was born on February 22, 1940, to Lavinia (Nardecchia) and Anthony "Tony" Caprara.

Dave attended St. Mary Elementary School and St. Paul High School, graduating in 1958. He and Rita Hippler, his girl, were married on February 6, 1960, and recently celebrated 60 years of marriage. Dave joined the Norwalk Fire Department, as a volunteer, in 1962, became a full time driver in 1964, promoted to Lieutenant in 1967, Captain in 1972, and served as Fire Chief from 1981 until his retirement in 1990.

Dave was a charter member of the Ohio Fire Service Instructors. He was also a member of the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, serving on the Board of Directors from 1989-1990. He was instrumental in the creation of North Central EMS. Dave was also a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Ohio Association of Arson Investigators.

After his retirement from the Norwalk Fire Department, Dave was never able to hold a job for more than 3 years because it interfered with his tee times, travels with Rita, and enjoying his grandkids. He worked as a safety inspector with the Ohio State Fire Marshall; a fire truck salesman for Fire Safety Services; he was part of the Huron County Disaster Planning Committee and the Huron County 9-1-1 Planning Committee. Rita finally let him retire for good after serving as the manager of Woodlawn Cemetery. Dave then spent over 4,000 hours volunteering for Fisher Titus Hospital so that Rita could spend a few hours a week without having to watch a John Wayne film. His hobbies included water color painting, fishing, being a member of the Norwalk Eagles Aerie 711 and enjoying the occasional scotch and water.

Dave is survived by his wife, Rita; his children Tamara (Ralph) May of Norwalk, David (Kelly) Caprara of Gibsonburg, Ohio, and Dan (Connie) Caprara of Norwalk; his grandchildren, Theodor (Jessi) May, Kathryn (Adam) Dragt, Jacob Caprara, Lucas Caprara and Anthony Caprara; his brother, Thom Caprara of Livonia, Michigan, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Lavinia Caprara.

Friends may call on Sunday, August 16, 2020 from 1 P.M. until 5 P.M at Walker Eastman Heydinger Funeral Home, 98 W. Main Street, Norwalk, Ohio. Visitors are required to bring and wear a mask, and practice all social distancing and mass gathering guidelines. A limited amount of people will be permitted inside the funeral home at one time to allow for adequate distancing. Visitors should also be prepared for the possibility of waiting outside at times in case of a crowd until social distancing becomes possible again.  A funeral mass will be held on Monday, August 17, 2020 beginning at 10:30 A.M. at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, 38 W. League St., Norwalk, Ohio, with Msgr. Ken Morman officiating. A private family inurnment will be held at St. Paul Cemetery at a later date.

The Caprara family would like to thank Amy Nolan and the amazing staff of Norwalk Memorial Home for their care, support and love of Dave. Donations may be made to Norwalk Firefighters Local 1199, Norwalk Memorial Home Activities Fund or the Norwalk Senior Enrichment Services. Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.walkereastmanheydingerfh.com