Obituary of Antonio Cortese

Antonio "Tony" Cortese, a long-time Stamford resident, passed away on Monday. He was 79 years old. Tony is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Maria (Trudo) Cortese as well as his children, Nick Cortese of Fairfield, Frank Cortese of Frisco, Texas, and Rosanne Cortese Johnson of Fairfield, as well as their spouses. Tony's beloved sister Vincenza Denino of Montreal, also survives him, as does a large extended family in the US and Canada. Tony's grandchildren Leo, Julia, Alex and Katie brought great joy to him in his later years. Tony was born in Capistrano, in the province of Calabria, Italy, to the late Nicola and Rosaria Cortese and spent his childhood there before emigrating to Canada in 1953 and then to Stamford in 1961. He worked for many years in the construction and landscaping trades before retiring to Fairfield in 2005. Always optimistic and friendly, Tony loved life. He never missed an opportunity to stop and appreciate the flowers in his garden, sample a friend's homemade wine, or enjoy a piece of ripe fruit in summertime. No one cheered louder for his grandchildren at sports events or performances, and he was always delighted to engage friends (and strangers) in conversation. Tony was a communicant of St. Clement of Rome Church in Stamford, and also attended mass at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Fairfield. Visitation will be held from 5- 8 pm on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at Shippan's Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home (same building as Bosak) 453 Shippan Ave Stamford, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Friday March 28, 2014 at St Clement of Rome Parish 535 Fairfield Ave Stamford, CT. Burial will follow at Queen of Peace Cemetery. To send condolences to the Cortese family, please visit www.gallagherfuneralhome.com Read Antonio Cortese's Obituary and Guestbook on gallagherfuneralhome.com.