Michael J. D’Agosta

Michael John D’Agosta

June 29, 1954 – January 20, 2024

Michael John D’Agosta was born in Vallejo California, to Fanny D’Agosta (Purelli) who emigrated from Lentini, Sicily, in 1930, and Louis Robert D’Agosta, who was born in Omaha, Nebraska. They moved to Vallejo, California in 1952 to be closer to family. Mike was born in 1954 in Vallejo. The family moved back to Omaha in 1956, where they bought a house in Little Italy. Mike attended St. Philomina Grade School (later renamed St. Francis Cabrini). He then attended Bancroft Jr. High, and South High School, where he graduated in 1972. Mike took a job at the Omaha World Herald after high school, working part-time in the Dispatch Department, while attending college at UNO. Mike met Chris Farrell and they married in 1974. Mike and Chris were blessed with 3 beautiful girls, Jenifer, Gina, and Tessa. Their home was in Keystone, where Mike was passionate for keeping a well trimmed lawn. In the summer, Mike also had a passion for driving out to the trailer at Vincil Island and swimming in the Platte River. Mike advanced his position at the Omaha World-Herald, to working in the composing room, assembling pages and getting them ready for the press run, along side of the page make up editor and the page one editor. Mike worked in the composing room when the pages were still being assembled with hot type, which required reading the type backwards and upside down, while checking for typos. If Editorial needed someone for a special project, breaking news or someone to assemble a page quickly, and creatively, Mike was the go to guy. Mike was very highly respected by the Editorial Department for his knowledge, speed and creativity assembling pages for the afternoon press run. When the paper moved to cold type, which was pasting stories on a grid sheet and photographing the page, Mike along with the direction of the page one editor, was the person who assembled the last hot type page for the afternoon paper, ushering the OWH newspaper into this new world of newspaper production technology. Mike continued working in the Composing room, advanced to composing room Forman, then Supervisor. Mike also covered for the assistant production director at night overseeing production of the morning editions. During construction of the Freedom Center, Mike was involved with the development of the plate department during the day, and responsible for plate production on opening day of the Freedom Center, September 1, 2001. In January, 2002, after 30 years of service, Mike was let go from the OWH, along with dozens of other employees who were also layed off. Mike went on to work at First National Bank as a supervisor in their Printing Department, and eventually retired. Mike loved music and playing guitar. He was an awesome guitar player. The Stones and Cream were his number one bands. Mike also loved to cook, following the lead of mom and nana, making creative and awesome food. His pasta sauce, meatballs and Italian peppers were the best; just like moms. And Mike could stuff and bake a capon like no one’s business.

Mike is survived by wife, Chris D’Agosta: daughters, Jenifer D’Agosta (Jen Serravallo), Gina D’Agosta (Bob Holland), and Tessa D’Agosta; sister, Mary Ann Pfouts (Butch); brother, Bob D’Agosta (Kathlene); grandchildren, Vivian Serravallo, Lola Serravallo, Robert Holland and Willona Holland; cousins, Lou Carlentine and Mary Jane Albee; nephews: Nathaniel D’Agosta,  Scott and Craig Pfouts, and Chuck and Patrick Siegel.