Antonio Nino Valentini

Eulogy / Poems/ Contributions

Mike's Eulogy for Dad January 2nd 2016

Where do we start after knowing a father for all of our lives?  He lived to be 92 years old and there are so many memories! 

When he was a young soldier of about 20 he received a medal for an act of bravery.What did he do? Instead of taking the medal he asked for its value in money and sent it to his mother back home on the farm.  That money allowed his mother to buy a cow, which was a really big thing during the war, and it helped the family to rebuild their future.   Then, not long after the war ended, he started a family of his own and, in search of a better life, emigrated to Canada. 

Our father always lived life to the full.   Every Sunday during the warm weather he would love to BBQ. He made his own wine (a good batch each time)  Dad never drove a car,  quite amazing for a person not to drive a car those days. He loved opera music which he said had to be played as loud as possible to be appreciated.  For a kid like me, who liked rock and roll, it actually wasn’t appreciated all that much!

One of Dad’s favourite pastimes was having a vegetable garden in the back yard and a flower garden in front.  In fact, the flower garden was considered by many to be the best in the neighbourhood for miles around.  

In his later years Dad had a stroke and, at that point, chose to stay at Casa Verde, an independent living centre for greater care.  During his stay at Casa Verde, and eventually in a nursing home, he called every nurse “Bella”.  I’m sure they all loved to be called “Beautiful”.

Dad was liked and admired by everyone for his kind and cheerful attitude towards life.  He never complained much, but after his leukaemia and several bouts of pneumonia his heart finally gave in.  We like to think that God had a need of another gardener for his heavily garden and that Dad is now happily doing what he loved to do best.

He was a father we loved dearly, and he will be sadly missed by all of us.  

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in addition:

His sister Palma will be 104 years old in February and lives happily with her daughter Ann and Lino in Sora, Italy.

Dad took good care of his Canary and covered the cage lovingly every night.

He went yearly to the Canadian National Exhibition to get the biggest and best Dahlias available and participated in the St. Clair tomatoe competition several years.

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Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,

spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts

for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.

I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck

of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,

hull and spar as she was when she left my side.

And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"

there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices

ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying...

by Henry Van Dyke

* * * * * * * * * *

ANTONIO VALENTINI

Passed peacefully December 29, 2015 in his 93rd year.

Loving father of Michael (Christine) and Alberto (Wilma).

Devoted nonno of Natasha (Eric), David (Bonnie),

and Selena.

Great grandfather to Christian, Ashlyn, Krystal,

Erika, Nicholas, and Jacob.

Survived by his sister Palma (104) of Sora Italy.

The family would like to thank the entire staff at Bayview Extended Care for their care and compassion during Antonio’s time there.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Antonio's name

may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation,

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada or The

Canadian Cancer Society.