By Louise Irvine

We are indebted to our WMODA volunteers who give so generously of their time and energy to support the museum in so many ways. Julio Difilippo, known to his friends as Flipper, has been a great asset since he joined the team in 2021. 

Flipper was born in West Palm Beach and now lives just a few minutes away from the museum which has been very helpful during recent staff absences. He came in daily to cover for Luis Montanez, our logistics manager, when he was on leave and kept the museum pristine and running smoothly for our visitors.

Flipper spent over 20 years in the Army Special Forces Units.  In 1989, during the Invasion of Panama, he was wounded and received a Purple Heart for his service. While still in the service, he went back to school and received two Masters Degrees in Security Management and Computer Resourcing and Information Management. He went on to use his new security expertise at the Coast Guard base in Miami Beach as well as Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. He then went to work for Spirit Airlines in the Security Department from 2007 until he retired in 2021.

Visitors will have noticed Flipper when he is on patrol at the museum’s special events as he is invariably dressed in dapper outfits with vividly colored shirts, flamboyant ties, and snazzy shoes. He is a keen photographer and has taken some great photos at WMODA. He also loves American studio glass, particularly Chihuly and William Morris, which is what lured him to WMODA. He often lends his library of reference books for research purposes.

Thank you Flipper for all you do for WMODA. We value your support and are inspired by your favorite quotes. “It’s easy to be hard but it’s hard to be smart.” “Work smarter, not harder.”