Funeral services for Dr. Wade Herman Ditcharo of Brookhaven are 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, with burial in Riverwood Memorial Park. Harrigill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Wednesday from 4 until 8 p.m. at the church, with Rosary at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Ditcharo, 57, died Feb. 3, 2013 at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson. He was born in Gretna, La. on March 8, 1955.

He was a 1973 graduate of McComb High School, a 1981 graduate of Mississippi College and a 1985 graduate of The University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. While in dental school, he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and The University of Mississippi Guardian Society.

Dr. Ditcharo served in the U.S. Navy from 1975 to 1979 and the U.S. Air Force from 1985 to 1988.

“Dr. D,” as he was known, and his family moved to Brookhaven in 1988 where he opened his dental practice. He had a passion for dentistry and serving others.

Lt. Colonel Ditcharo was a member of the Mississippi Air National Guard and was currently active in the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian. He was a recipient of the Mississippi National Guard Magnolia Medal.

Dr. Ditcharo was a longtime member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, where he served on the Parish Council, Finance Council and was active in the Knights of Columbus, where he served as Grand Knight and District Deputy and was awarded Knight of the Year and Family of the Year awards. He was also active with the church’s youth program, where he was awarded the For God and Youth and Eagle of the Cross awards. He went on several mission trips to Saltillo, Mexico to perform dental work.

Dr Ditcharo was an active member of the Brookhaven Exchange Club, where he served as mentor for the “O” Foundation and was named the Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year in 2011.

Preceding him in death were his father, Dominick Herman Ditcharo; brother, Steven Ditcharo; sister, Donna Ditcharo; and mother-in-law, Merrose Wallace.

Survivors are his mother, Carmel “Mickey” Elizabeth Wimberly and husband, Al, of McComb; wife of 36 years, Cathy Wallace Ditcharo of Brookhaven; son, Dr. Anthony Wade Ditcharo and wife, Jennifer, of Nashville, Tenn.; daughters, Natalie Ditcharo Ybarra and husband, Luis, of Brookhaven, and Amy Ditcharo Ferguson and husband, Eli, of Brookhaven; brother, Greg Ditcharo and wife, Melissa, of McComb; sisters, Karen D. Frazier and husband, Morris, of Denham Springs, La., Susan D. Gaines and husband, David, of Zachary, La., and Brenda D. Smith and husband, Bennie, of Brookhaven; three grandchildren, Dylan and Eden Ditcharo and Finley Ybarra; father-in-law, James C. Wallace of Summit; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Priest Education Fund, in memory of Dr. Wade Ditcharo. For more information, call the church office at 601-833-1799.