Nov. 14—STONINGTON — Family, friends and loyal listeners of the man known as "The Voice of Westerly" held a benefit concert Sunday afternoon in his honor.

Chris DiPaola, 49, the owner, CEO and general manager of the WBLQ radio station for the last 25 years, died suddenly last month, leaving behind his wife and children, and an entire community as well.

DiPaola was a member of the Rotary Club of Westerly and of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce and was known to broadcast from any event going on in the area. Whether it was a peewee football game, a Chamber of Commerce fundraiser or an event with the Johnnycake Center of Westerly, DiPaola was there with his microphone.

"There wouldn't be something that was happening in town that Chris wasn't at," said Lee Eastbourne, the executive director of the Johnnycake Center, which DiPaola was an advocate for.

So, with the generosity of Phoenix Dining and Entertainment opening its doors for a community event, the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce, with the help of others, put together a Benefit Concert in DiPaola's honor.

Five local bands donated their time to play at the event while eight restaurants and a bakery donated fried chicken, pizza, veggie and cheese trays and cookies and pastries. A majority of the raffle prizes ― which ranged from gift cards to local businesses to baskets of alcohol and food ― were donated by 25 different businesses as well.

All of the funds raised from the event goes into a memorial foundation in DiPaola's name, which goes to supporting his family, whether that be for the mortgage or day-to-day needs. His wife, Laina, and children were not in attendance as they were out of state visiting family.

Lisa Konicki, the president of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce, said it was "very much a community effort," to put on the event and was hoping to raise "several thousand dollars," for the family.

The fund currently has more than $32,000 raised prior to Sunday's benefit concert.

"There is not a small business or nonprofit organization that has not been positively affected by his efforts in this community," Konicki said of DiPaola's community presence.

But not even the happiest of memories will be able to bring back a man whom many adored for his love for his family, his commitment to his work and his community, and the energy he carried with him.

"He can't be replaced in Westerly," said longtime friend and event emcee, Caswell Cooke. "He's that guy and now he's not. And now we don't have him."

Cooke met DiPaola some 35 years ago, before the two went to the Prout School in Wakefield, R.I., as members of the first co-ed class. Cooke recalled a time when their group of friends, teenagers at the time, went out for a bite to eat. Everyone ordered a meal. DiPaola ordered a glass of water.

"I'm saving up to buy a radio station," he told his friends.

He ended up buying several.

Cooke said he was texting his friend the night of his death. DiPaola reminded Cooke he was supposed to be on the air at 8:10 a.m. the next day and to not be late. When he woke up to the news, he went on the air anyway to tell stories.

"It's going to leave a hole everywhere," Cooke said.

DiPaola, a native of Skowhegan, Maine, grew up idolizing the talents on New York's 66 WNBC. He was fortunate enough to do what he loved for a living and made friends who shared his passion.

"For people like me, who knew him for 35 years, you lose a friend," said WBLQ News Director Joe Tasca. "It's a relationship you can never get back."

Tasca was 16 when he met DiPaola, who later became "the best boss I ever had." The two shared a passion for the broadcast industry and made a connection. Tasca said its been "strange" to still work at the station without DiPaola running the show, but Steve Conti, DiPaola's business partner, and the rest of the team are doing the best they can.

"It's a gaping hole, not just in the community, but the radio station is going to have a tough time replacing him," Tasca said.

Tasca remembered the times DiPaola wouldn't let him pay for lunch (which was every time), the weekend trips to New York, the weekly Saturday night dinners they shared, and how he did whatever he could to help others. Sometimes, that meant doing a radio broadcast at no charge.

"This is the first really close friend I've lost, so it hurts for sure," Tasca said.

He noted, too, that DiPaola rarely had free time and often worked "Sunday to Sunday," sometimes at the expense of spending time with his family, but "would drop everything to help a friend."

So Tasca joined in the remembrance of a great friend and leader within the community. Photos of DiPaola were all over the event, a reminder that he was still with those he was closest to.

Konicki remembered how DiPaola "never had a bad day, and if he did, you never knew," and how "great" of an advocate he was for the community. She was looking ahead to the holiday season and the events in Stonington, like the lighting of the lobster trap tree, that DiPaola was an "integral" part of but will no longer be there.

This year, the chamber of commerce, with a local artist, commissioned a buoy with a painting of DiPaola to go on the tree. One side has DiPaola at his radio booth, with his trademark thin microphone (Bob Barker style), and on the other, he is looking up at his radio tower with the Heavens opening above.

The stories and the acts of remembrance help, those in attendance Sunday afternoon said, but it doesn't bring him back. Konicki said some of DiPaola's old commercials still run on air, which she finds comforting.

"It's been a slow acceptance to the sad reality to the void that now exists," Konicki said.

k.arnold@theday.com