Wilmington officials are remembering a longtime Delaware politician following his death Monday

Wilmington officials expressed condolences Wednesday over the death of a longtime Republican Delaware politician and former DuPont employee.

Joseph G. DiPinto, who died Monday, served on the Wilmington City Council for 12 years in the 1970s and 1980s, followed by 20 years as a Republican in the state House of Representatives before retiring from the Legislature in 2006 and taking on the City Council role of Wilmington He is director of economic development, according to a press release from Wilmington.

DiPinto, a Naaman native, also worked for the DuPont Company for 36 years, retiring in 1990 as a development program manager in the specialty polymers division, according to the former lawmaker's biography on the state Commission for Italian Heritage and Culture. His career in the private sector has focused on new polymer applications and development and he holds three patents, the bio says.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki recognized DiPinto for his years of commitment to “Wilmington's growth” and “preserving the strength” of the state and expressed condolences to the family, including DiPinto's son Jim DiPinto, the city's zoning administrator.

“Joe was a Republican in a heavily Democratic city and state, but he never let political party affiliation or politics get in the way of him doing his job,” Purzycki said in the news release. “He was focused and determined to serve the needs of the people of Wilmington, whether he was in Dover at the Delaware General Assembly or in Wilmington in his city hall office. We have lost an outstanding person and public servant.”

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The city's former mayor, James Baker, was Wilmington's business manager when DiPinto retired from the House of Representatives and asked the longtime lawmaker to serve as the city's economic development director.

“Joe knew this position gave him the opportunity to directly serve the people of Wilmington through development agreements that secured jobs for city residents and revenue to support city services,” Baker said. “Joe cared about people regardless of their station in life, race, religion or politics. He served the people of Wilmington well. Joe made people feel comfortable discussing complicated projects.”

DiPinto has also served on the state Commission on Italian Heritage and Culture, the Delaware Science and Technology Council, the Riverfront Development Corporation, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Delaware Science and Technology Commission.

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City officials said DiPinto is also president of Wilmington UDAG Corp. and board member of Wilmington Renaissance Corporation, Downtown Visions, WEDCO and Christina Gateway Corp. been. He also served on the boards of St. Francis Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, Ministry of Welfare, Sacred Heart Village, Salvation Army and WHYY.

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This article originally appeared in the Delaware News Journal: Delaware Republican and former DuPont employee Joseph G. DiPint has died