David Pizzo, a successful businessman, was a champion of the poor.

As the eldest of four children raised by a single mother in Hoboken, New Jersey, David Pizzo knew that hardship could hit his family.

By eighth grade, he was working part-time to make money, said his daughter, Lauren Pizzo-Hill. It was an experience he'll never forget.

“He was the most optimistic person,” she says. “He knew he couldn’t change the world, so he looked out into the world with the intention of doing what I could and encouraging others to do what they could.”

Pizzo passed away on Thursday after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64 years old.

He worked for health insurance company Florida Blue for nearly 30 years, rising to become president of the West Florida market. Pizzo also made a mark in the Tampa Bay business community as a supporter of startups and economic development. This includes his time as chairman of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and the Tampa Bay Partnership.

But his passion was supporting community work, especially the United Way, his family said. He served as a volunteer with the nonprofit organization for about 20 years, eventually serving as chairman of the board of directors for United Way He Suncoast. He helped Florida Blue's annual giving to the nonprofit soar from $25,000 a year to more than $1 million, the nonprofit said.

“There was hardly a community organization that Dave did not impact as president, board member, volunteer, contributor, participant, or fan,” said Pat Geraghty, CEO of Florida Blue and Guidewell. said in an email. “He loved his family, the community of Tampa, the Florida Blue team and the company he served with distinction for nearly 30 years. We want to celebrate Dave's life and ensure his legacy continues.” We will work to keep it alive.”

Pizzo met his wife, Karen Pizzo, in New Jersey in 1984. The two were pharmaceutical salespeople, but they couldn't help but flirt with each other, she said. They married two years later.

Pizzo wanted a job that would allow him more time with his two children, so his family moved to Florida in 1997.

“He worked long hours and life was passing him by,” Karen Pizzo said. “He was able to be there in all the important moments.”

His son, Chris Pizzo, chose his father to be his chaperone when he got married. Although his father didn't talk about his philanthropy, he said he instilled in his children the importance of helping and listening to others. He remembered not only people's names, but also the names of his family and pets.

“He taught us that people come first and everything else will take care of itself,” he said. “He's just a special soul. Anyone who meets him feels that way.”

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A grandfather of three, Pizzo had a crib in his home office that all three of his grandchildren used. Karen Pizzo said they often appeared on her grandfather's conference calls and sometimes sat on his lap.

Pizzo learned he had Stage IV pancreatic cancer after a medical exam a few weeks after his brother was diagnosed with the same disease. The diagnosis was a shock because he had no symptoms.

He continued volunteering with United Way Suncoast in his final year, keeping his illness a secret, said Jessica Muroff, the nonprofit's CEO.

At board meetings, Pizzo asked the best questions and always arrived with so many ideas that she struggled to write them down, she said.

Muroff said Pizzo was especially proud of the work United Way did for poor working families. This nonprofit organization raises money and provides funding to organizations that provide direct services to families fighting poverty and eviction, and provide access to early learning for children. He also publishes his ALICE study, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed, every two years.

The 2023 edition highlighted to state lawmakers and other stakeholders that 600,000 households in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties live paycheck to paycheck.

“He wanted to stay involved because he knew everything he was supposed to know,” Muroff said. “I really miss him.”