Antonio Carpino

A devoted husband, loving father, proud Nonno and Bisnonno, faithful friend, storyteller, poet, and proud Italian-Canadian, Tony's life was a remarkable testament to faith, perseverance, sacrifice, and unconditional love. Although our hearts ache beyond words, we are comforted by the countless memories he leaves behind and the enduring legacy he built through family, faith, and kindness.

Tony was born in Donnici, Cosenza, in the beautiful region of Calabria, Southern Italy, and raised in nearby Paterno Calabro. He was the beloved son of Emilio Carpino and Rosina Mauro, whose examples of hard work, devotion, resilience, and faith shaped the man he would become.

Tony often delighted family and friends with the story that although his official birth date was recorded as October 24, 1946, he always insisted he was really born on October 22. According to family lore, his father and godfather were so thrilled by the arrival of the first grandson of the new generation that they spent two days celebrating before remembering to register his birth. The excitement was understandable.

Tony was the first male grandchild on his father's side and proudly carried the name of his beloved grandfather, Antonio. Tiny when he entered the world, many worried whether he would survive. His grandfather, however, never doubted him, reassuring everyone that the child bearing his name would grow strong and healthy. When his mother was unable to produce enough milk and infant formula was neither available nor affordable, he was lovingly nourished with goat's milk and sugar soothers wrapped in cloth.

Few could have imagined that this tiny infant would grow into a man whose life would touch so many people across generations, countries, and communities.

Growing up in post-war Calabria, Tony's childhood was filled with family, faith, hard work, and simple joys. He helped tend animals, orchards, vineyards, and farmland. He learned responsibility long before adulthood and gained a deep appreciation for honest labour.

His Catholic faith became deeply rooted during these early years. Religious feast days, church celebrations, and family traditions became woven into the fabric of his life. He attended a small country school before continuing his education at the Collegio Arcivescovile Aniello Calcara in Cosenza, where he developed the discipline, determination, and devotion that would guide him throughout his life.

Among Tony's most treasured childhood memories were the hours spent with his beloved grandparents, especially his Nonno. He often spoke of following him through the countryside, learning lessons of honesty, humility, loyalty, and family that could never be taught in a classroom. The losses of Grandfather Peppino in 1957 and Grandfather Antonio in 1961 left lasting impressions and taught him the value of cherishing those we love.

Tony's stories of Calabria became legendary within the family. Whether speaking about school, village life, harvesting grapes, riding through the countryside, or childhood adventures with relatives and friends, he brought every memory to life with remarkable detail, humour, and warmth. His stories became gifts that connected generations to their roots.

As a young man, Tony worked diligently and embraced responsibility early in life. He worked at Caffè 3C, delivering coffee beans throughout the community, and later worked for a local physician. He loved writing poetry, recording memories, and reflecting on life's experiences. Long before memoirs and presentations became his legacy, Tony was already becoming the family historian.

He was also a young man with dreams.

He proudly rode a Lambretta motor scooter gifted through the generosity of his Zio Alberto and later purchased a light-blue Fiat 750 with help from his father. Like many young men of his generation, he looked toward the future with hope and possibility.

Yet among all his dreams, one person mattered most.

Flora Maria Guarascio

Flora Maria Guarascio lived only a few houses away and quietly captured Tony's heart. Family members often laughed that Tony always seemed to find reasons to pass by her house or see her whenever he could.

She would become the love of his life.

Determined to marry her, Tony borrowed 5,000 lire from his friend Fausto so he could purchase an engagement ring. It was a beautiful white-gold ring adorned with Flora's birthstones and a tiny diamond. Though modest in cost, it represented a lifetime of devotion, sacrifice, and enduring love.

On September 10, 1966, Tony and Flora were united in Holy Matrimony at Madonna della Catena Church in Laurignano, Italy.

What began as a young romance became one of the great love stories of their family.

Through sixty years of marriage they remained best friends, partners, and soulmates. Together they navigated immigration, raising children, building businesses, celebrating milestones, overcoming hardships, caring for one another through illness and loss, and creating a family bound together by love.

Their first child, Emilio, was born on November 14, 1967.

Determined to build a brighter future for his growing family, Tony made the courageous decision to immigrate to Canada. Leaving behind family, friends, language, and familiarity, he arrived in Canada on March 20, 1968, carrying little more than faith, determination, and hope.

Like so many immigrants, Tony sacrificed comfort for opportunity.

Flora and young Emilio joined him in April 1969, and together they began building a new life.

Canada became Tony's adopted home, but Italy never left his heart.

Over the next five decades, Tony built an extraordinary career characterized by integrity, loyalty, and hard work. He worked with Canadian National Railway, including time in B & B and Mechanical Services, while also holding additional employment to support his family. Following retirement from CN in 2001, he began driving school bus with Laidlaw and later Diversified Transportation until 2018.

Tony never believed any work was beneath him. He believed in earning an honest living, fulfilling commitments, and providing for those he loved.

As his career grew, so did his family.

Rosanna Barbara was born on January 16, 1972, followed by Francesco Antonio on July 31, 1973, and Patrizia Paola on January 22, 1978.

One of Tony's proudest accomplishments was building a home for his family. After living in McBride when they first arrived in Canada and then on Ewert Street and Ogilvie Street in Prince George, Tony and Flora achieved their dream of moving into their newly built family home on Stirling Drive on November 4, 1978. This was three years to the date after Tony, Flora, and Emilio became Canadian Citizens.

That house became so much more than a home.

It became the gathering place where birthdays were celebrated, holiday meals were shared, grandchildren filled the rooms with laughter, neighbours became family, and memories were made that will endure for generations.

Tony's pursuit of education never stopped. In 1982, he proudly earned his GED, teaching his children that learning and self-improvement should never end.

His faith remained central throughout his life. He joined the Knights of Columbus in 1984 and dedicated countless hours to service, mentorship, community-building, and supporting youth through the Squires and Squirettes.

Tony and Flora also built successful family businesses together, including Tabor Deli, PG Classic Touch Catering, Luna Rossa Ristorante, and T & F Pork and Poultry Farm. These ventures reflected their commitment to family, hospitality, faith, and community service.

Despite his many accomplishments, Tony's greatest successes were never measured by jobs, businesses, or achievements. They were measured by people.

Nothing brought him greater joy than becoming a Nonno.

The arrival of his grandchildren transformed his life in wonderful ways.

Diego, Sofia, Denao, and Luca each held a unique place in his heart. He delighted in sharing family stories, passing on traditions, offering guidance, teaching lessons from his own experiences, and celebrating every milestone. He experienced immense joy when Danielle, Clayton, Ashley, and Kayla joined the family and called him Nonno.

Among those relationships, his bond with his first grandchild, Diego Francesco, was especially profound.

Tony was incredibly proud of Diego's courage, resilience, and strength. He remained forever grateful for Frank's kidney donation to Diego and the creation of the Northern BC Friends of Children. The Northern BC Friends of Children was an organization created by a handful of determined volunteers in Prince George after the community rallied to support Diego when he needed a life-saving transplant as a young child. In 1995, volunteers, including Tony and Flora, organized the ‘Baby Diego Campaign” to raise funds for Diego’s medical treatment. Through every challenge, Tony stood firmly beside his grandson with unwavering love and encouragement.

The passing of Diego on January 13, 2026, became one of the deepest sorrows Tony would ever endure. Though heartbroken, he continued speaking of Diego with immense pride, gratitude, and love. Their bond was extraordinary.

Today, we find comfort imagining the reunion they now share in God's eternal embrace.

Retirement allowed Tony to devote more time to family, travel, writing, genealogy, gardening, wine making, and prosciutto and salsiccia making.

As the Stirling Drive home began to grow a bit quieter, with the kids moving out to start their own lives, Tony and Flora decided to buy a farm with acreage on Buckhorn Lake Road. It was an adventure that included everything from rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, and yes, even alpacas; not to mention the massive gardens and greenhouses. There he found peace in nature, family gatherings, storytelling, and creating memories with those he loved most. Tony lived and loved the farm until his last days when God brought him home. It is still the home that Flora will continue to enjoy and love. Tony called it their “Piece of Paradise”.

Throughout his life, Tony maintained a deep connection to Italy. He and Flora returned many times over the years, reconnecting with family and lifelong friends, revisiting cherished places, and honouring their heritage. One of the most meaningful journeys came in June 2023, culminating in the renewal of their marriage vows on September 10, 2023, at Madonna della Catena Cathedral.

It was a beautiful full-circle moment.

One of Tony's greatest gifts to future generations was his commitment to preserving family history.

Through memoirs, photographs, presentations, poetry, genealogical research, and storytelling, he ensured that family stories would never be forgotten. He believed deeply that every ancestor mattered, every story deserved preservation, and every generation should know where they came from.

Because of Tony, future generations will always know the names, the stories, the sacrifices, and the love.

Tony will forever be remembered for his kindness, generosity, humility, remarkable memory, unwavering faith, sense of humour, poetry, storytelling, resilience, and extraordinary devotion to family.

He had a gift for making people feel welcome. He remembered birthdays, stories, people, but most importantly, he remembered what mattered.

Tony is lovingly remembered by his beloved wife and soulmate, Flora; his children Emilio (Tracey), Rosanna (Adrian), Francesco (Bobbi), and Patrizia; his grandchildren Danielle, Sofia, Denao, Luca. Tony is also remembered by his adopted for life daughter Jodi. He is also lovingly remembered by those privileged to call him Nonno; Clayton, Ashley, and Kayla; his great-grandson Wesley; his sister Gina (Franco); his nephew Gian-Paolo (Simona) and family; his godchildren Pina (Peter) and family, Grace (John) and family, and Franco (Jackie) and family, and Maureen and Carlene; his aunt and cousins; extended family throughout Canada, Italy, France, Argentina, and the United States; and the countless friends whose lives were enriched by knowing him.

He was predeceased by his beloved grandson Diego, his parents Emilio Carpino and Rosina Mauro, Flora’s parents Eugenio Giovanni Battista Guarascio and MariaRosa Mastroianni, and many cherished relatives and friends whom he carried lovingly in his heart throughout his life.

Though our hearts are broken, we are forever grateful for the blessing of having known and loved him.

His story was not measured merely by years, accomplishments, or milestones.

It was measured by every sacrifice he made for his family, every story he shared, every lesson he taught, every prayer he offered, every hand he held, and by every heart he touched.

His legacy lives on in the family he adored, the friends he adored the faith he cherished, the traditions he preserved, the stories he recorded, and the love he gave so freely.

Funeral Mass

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Prince George, British Columbia, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

Following the Mass, family and friends are invited to gather at the Columbus Community Centre, 7201 St. Lawrence Avenue, Prince George, British Columbia, at 2:30 p.m., to share stories, memories, laughter, fellowship, and love as we celebrate Tony's extraordinary life and what would have been his 80th birthday.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tony's memory to Northern BC Friends of Children, the Kidney Foundation of Canada, or the Canadian Cancer Society.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

"The story of a life is not measured by years alone, but by the love shared, the sacrifices made, the laughter given, and the family left stronger because of it. Tony gave all of these generously."

Forever loved. Forever remembered. Forever the cherished husband and soulmate of our beautiful Mom, Nonna, and Bisnonna Flora.