Anthony R. DeMayo

Anthony Richard DeMayo, or affectionally called “Richie” or “Tony”, was a force of nature. His charm and disposition was simply unavoidable, and he was loved by everyone he came into contact with. What’s not to love about him? Never in your life could you have met a more kind, fun-loving, and gentle human being.

Anthony was born on January 23, 1938 in Brooklyn, NY, to an Italian family. He was the only son of Anthony DeMayo, Sr. and Mary DeMayo (Campione), and also had 3 sisters. He was a city kid, growing up in the projects of the RedHook section, playing in the streets as city kids do. Running around the neighborhoods, playing stickball, and watching the then Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees. He loved his friends and his cousins, who were his constant playmates, always up to something.

Anthony grew up a teenager in Brooklyn and then in the Bronx, in the heart of the 1950s. And yes, he came fully equipped as a “greaser”, with black leather jacket, white t-shirt, jeans, and the greased-in, pompadour hairstyle, comb always in pocket. He was cool, handsome, and had a charm about him that would just draw people in. Especially “all the chicks”. “Yep, chicks digged me” he would always tell us, followed by a giggle. It was always important to him to look good, and be well dressed every day, as if every day was special. He lived his life that way.

But there is only so much the concrete jungle could do for you day in and day out. As a child, he took up a spirited interest in animals. He came to love the Bronx Zoo, making a trip there every weekend. Always intrigued by wildlife, he memorized just about every fact about every animal, including it’s habits, location, and even it’s Latin name. I think he just loved to watch them, and wanted to be around them. He would then come home and speak to everyone about everything he learned, wether they felt like listening or not and believe me, this carried over into adulthood. Yes, on and on and on about animals and birds. (Did I say “on and on and on?”). It always made him happy. Even in his final days, the TV was permanently fixed on Animal Planet or National Geographic.

Anthony also fell in love with trains as a boy. Seeing how in the city he constantly saw and used them to get around, it was no surprise of course that he had to learn everything about them. He read about the history of locomotives, the railroad, and how they were built. Trains became his passion. He began to collect and play with beautiful HO-scale model trains. This hobby became an obsession, as some of you could tell by his 20’ layout in the basement of our old house. It was entertainment for everyone that came over, although to him, “nah, it’s still not finished”. He changed it around more often than one would change their underwear. Even at 78, he was still playing in the front room with his prized collection of over 300 freight cars, cabooses, and locomotives. He never stopped loving them, even when they were too difficult to hold in his hands. I don’t think we will ever look at a train, whether toy or real, and not think of him.

After graduating from high school when he was 18, he enlisted in the US Army to “see the world”. He often spoke of the days back at basic training, the drill sergeant yelling in his face, and he trying not to laugh. And if you knew him and his full-time, dare we say odd sense of humor, you can imagine how that was impossible. Anthony however finished serving his 2 years, and returned home to his family. A few years later, he was called back, re-drafted by the Army, and back he went to serve again for almost a year.

Anthony and his Army buddies would go home to the Bronx on weekend leave. It was something to look forward to for him. Music, nightclubs, and dressing up in his beloved suits, was time away. To him, every weekend out was an occasion. But one Saturday night at a nightclub in Queens, his life was forever changed. It was there he met the love of his life, Antoinette Dell’Olio. She, a beautiful Italian immigrant girl, whose family immediately took to him, and of course loved him fiercely. It was the storybook tale of “handsome soldier boy meets the girl”, while home on leave. They fell in love, and began planning their life together. They were married on April 25th, 1964, surrounded by friends and family in the (Bronx, NY). Even after nearly 52 years together, he still would speak of how the night they met was the greatest night of his life, second only to the births of his two children.

Soon after, Anthony, who was gifted at drawing, attended drafting school from which he graduated. He was then hired by Con Edison, the electric company for NYC, and began his long career there as an electrical engineer, designing NYC’s electrical systems all on blueprints. It was all done in hand back then. It was there he made some of his best friends for life. He was the office clown and prankster, which seemed to be a way of life in that building. Jokes were played on each other non-stop. Everyone knew him and loved him, despite what turned into endless years of horrible jokes and one-liners, that somehow everyone laughed at anyway. He was however, a model employee, showing up every day for what would be 38 years there until his retirement. He would never complain, not even once about going to work, fighting the sometimes very nasty weather, and sitting in traffic for 2 hours a day. And despite that, he would even stop and help stranded motorists, without hesitation. Selflessly. If anyone needed anything, he was always there. His life was about kindness, and making people laugh. Even at his retirement party, he was asked to go up on stage and speak. My father, the shy but attention lover he was, of course took that opportunity to tell some of the same jokes he had been telling all of them (and us) for nearly 4 decades. The result? A lot of rolling eyes, laughter, and applause. That was one of his greatest moments. We noticed how hard it was for everyone to say goodbye to him. He having touched every one of them in such a special way, as he did everyone everyday.

Anthony was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, uncle, cousin, and friend to many. He saw to it that his family wanted for nothing. All while he termed himself the “luckiest guy in the world”. He continued living his life for the love of his family. HIs wife Antoinette was his life. Even after 18 years of having Parkinson’s and even in the last days leading up to his passing, he would tell my mother 2 things every day; that he loved her very much, and how beautiful she looked. He never missed the opportunity.

Anthony died on April 3, 2016, after a very long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He will be missed by many. He was one of a kind, and would want everyone to have fond memories of him. He is survived by his wife Antoinette, his son Jeffrey, and his daughter Lisa. Also survived by his sisters, Patricia, Carol, Debbie, and many nieces and nephews who loved him dearly. He will be laid to rest in the Columbarium at St. Thomas Moore Church in Austin, TX.