Luciano Chiappi

Peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on 10th April 2020, Luciano aged 76 years of Barrow. The devoted and much loved husband of Diane, adored Pops of Enza, Daniela, Claudia and Antonia, dearly loved brother of Roberto, Marco and the late Franco, cherished nonno of Rocco, Ingrid, Lola, Florence, Francesco and Enzo, and a well respected relative and friend to many.

Luciano was a loved and devoted family man who will be dearly missed by all his family and friends.

Donations are being received in memory of Luciano on behalf of Derian House Children’s Hospice. To make a donation please click the ‘Donate Now’ button at the bottom of the page.

Luciano was born in Rome on 25th September 1943, to Costantino and Iride Chiappi.  He had three brothers – Franco, Roberto and Marco.

His paternal grandparents were Filippo Chiappi and Angela Tiberi, and his maternal grandparents were Marsilio Scaffali and Assunta Di Bernardini (known as ‘Rosa’). 

He had many uncles and aunts.  On his father’s side alone, there were 14 siblings, “or something like that” Luciano said.

In his early years, Luciano lived with his family at Via degli Orti, in Forano.

They moved down to Rome when he was 11 years old.  Franco would be about 9, Roberto 6, and Marco 3.  They lived on Via Grottaferrata.     

From there, the family moved to Via Marsala, next to Termini Train Station.  Luciano remembered a famous cafe there called ‘Trombetta’ where they roasted coffee beans.  His father was a civil servant and worked hard for his family.  There was a time when his mother worked in an office when the boys were at school, and when they came home, they had to make their own minestra.  Luciano and Franco used to argue about who washed the dishes and who dried them.   Luciano often recounted how his school teacher once told him “you’ll be here until you are 50!”  He didn’t know what was planned for Luciano….

He first came to England as a teenager, and eventually chose to live and work here, whilst continuing to send money back home to his family.

He met his wife, Diane, whilst she was working at Wellgate petrol station in Clitheroe.  She’d seen him a few times, turning up in a flashy car.  He asked her if she wanted to come flying with him and his friend, (an unusual chat up line, even by today’s standards).  She agreed, saying she’d go in his friend’s car.

He was lucky enough to marry Diane, and was blessed in having four wonderful girls, Enza, Daniela, Claudia and Antonia.

Luciano & Diane’s first family home was 17 Peel Park Avenue, before they bought their ‘forever’ home, Gianicolo, in Barrow.  But Luciano’s other home was their flat on Via Mommsen in Rome, where the family would often stay during the holidays, and spend precious time with their Italian relatives – Franco, Raffaela, Roberto, Olga, Michele, Silvia, Marco, Patrizia, Aurora and Guilia, along with others.

As a young man, and a highly talented motor repair specialist, he opened several garages in Clitheroe.  For a time he had a FIAT dealership too.  His last garage, which he had for many years, was on King Lane.  He worked incredibly hard, day and night, to provide for his family, and together with Diane’s lifelong support, built up his own little property empire to secure their financial futures.

He was a genius inventor, a miraculous engineer, who could make and fix anything.  The family never had to call someone to do a job for them, because he could always do it.  Electricals, plumbing, he taught himself everything.  If any car developed a problem, it would be fixed in no time.

His hobby throughout his life, was flying machines.  Microlytes, aeroplanes, girocopters, helicopters, big and small.  He preferred to build his own, rather than buy them.  He gained his helicopter pilot’s licence and built a helicopter at Barrow.  He spent many days hovering it over the field next door, before finally taking off.  On occasions, he’d take Diane, or one of his daughters, flying high above the Ribble Valley. 

He enjoyed his air show trips to America with friends, during which times he built up his flying hours record.  His claim to fame was that he once flew the helicopter that was smashed in a scene from one of the ‘Terminator’ films.   

When his health no longer permitted him to fly, he’d spend hours upon hours making jet engines in his shed.

He watched his daughters grow up, and wasn’t shy of expressing his opinions in the household (which were always right, of course!). 

Luciano and Diane gained the names ‘Pops’ and ‘Grampies’.  Diane wasn’t a grandma then, she’d just found a grey hair…

They gained new family members as time went by… Jonathan, Ian and Charlotte. 

Then came along their beloved grandchildren… Rocco, Ingrid, Lola, Florence, Francesco and Enzo, who Luciano loved with all his heart.  When the grandchildren were younger, they spent wonderful days in Italy, at the seaside flat in Ardea, and in Rome, getting their faces covered in multiple flavours of ice-cream.

The increase in his family also saw the increase in his number of ‘sheds’, each one brimming with every mechanical, electrical and hand tool imaginable.  He took particular pride in his lathes and milling machines.

He made his grandchildren swings, climbing frames, slides, a ride on train out of old plastic school chairs….  He fixed up ride-one lawnmovers, mini quad bikes, and transformed a small, broken segway into a manually controlled ride-one cart.

Christmas Day would always see a family gathering at Barrow.  Luciano would rub his hands together thinking of all the bottles of brandy he was going to receive, and Diane would be busy planning and making a glorious feast for the evening buffet.

Over the past few years another annual family gathering developed – Luciano’s bonfire.  Again, Diane would make all sorts of delicious food for the event, which also came to be attended by friends as well as family members.

Towards the end of his life, his only concern was for his family.

He left this earth peacefully, just where he wanted to be – at his home, surrounded by his wife and daughters – knowing that together, with their great strength, they will learn to come to terms with their enormous loss.

Luciano was a brilliant, irreplaceable man, who lives on in hearts of all his family.

God bless you Luciano, fly high, until we see you again.   

 

Please feel free to send a message for the family of Luciano by completing the form below.

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MESSAGES for Luciano Chiappi

Peter Dunn J.P.

God bless you Diane

 

Nadia Hothersall

Rest in peace. Love Nadia, Ian and family xxxx