Orazio Di Manno

Orazio was born in Terelle, Italy, Province of Frosinone on February 4, 1937. At the tender age of 17, due to incredibly challenging post war economic times, Orazio travelled to Switzerland with hope of finding work and a better life. With good fortune on his side, he immediately found work cultivating a farmer’s field, however, soon thereafter, he came to learn about the abundance of work in Canada and decided to make the journey in 1957. After arriving by boat in Halifax, he took the train to Calgary and then hitchhiked to Banff to visit with his brother Vittorio, before joining a group of Europeans that were heading to Jasper to obtain work in the lumber industry. After a year as a lumberjack, Orazio returned to Calgary and worked in the construction industry for 25 + years, primarily for CANA Construction. He quickly became known for his relentless work ethic (earning the nick name Horse), as well as his dependability and desire to always do the job right, thereby earning him many promotions until ultimately being offered his dream job as a crane and hoisting operator. To qualify, he was first required to obtain his Operators License that included studying an extensive course followed by a written exam. As an immigrant with no formal education, to pass the test, he leaned on prior years of teaching himself how to read and write English with the use of an Italian/English dictionary (which he read page by page), along with his daily effort to read the Calgary Sun, (after first viewing the Sunshine Girl) and eventually graduating himself to the Calgary Herald. Passing the exam was a personal accomplishment that he was extremely proud of, as well as his small part in helping change the Calgary downtown skyline, one office tower at a time, with his favorite being the prestigious Petro Canada Towers.

Orazio met Lucia, his wife to be, by chance at her place of work, when having a coffee with a friend at a local downtown Calgary restaurant. After 2 years of courtship, they wed on June 22, 1963, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Calgary.

Orazio was a proud father and grandfather that was extremely supportive, always sharing words of wisdom, always available to help family and friends, whom when asked if he could help them, his infamous reply was “I’ll be there in 18 minutes.” He was a cheerleader not only for his family, but also anyone who worked hard and ultimately became successful, as he always said, “they earned it.” He had a loud bark, but an incredibly big heart, that was very empathetic towards others, and for those that were a good friend to him, he was a great friend in return. He found joy tending to his green house and multiple gardens (his and those of his neighbors) and sharing the abundance of produce with his family and friends. He was kid-like with excitement prior to any fishing and camping weekend with family and friends, as he loved to shoot the breeze as well as have a hot cup of coffee while being outdoors in the Rocky Mountains with a chance to catch big lake trout. On a beautiful summer day, he enjoyed watering his lawn by hand, shirtless and barefoot, engaging in conversation with anyone that happened to walk by. You often would find him on the backyard porch drinking a beer (with ice), sitting in the sun, eyes closed and facing the sun. He had the cleanest car (inside and out) in Calgary, washing it by hand multiple times throughout the week, no matter the time of the year, as pride of ownership was important to him. He had an extreme sweet tooth (especially for Black Forest Cake), where in a blink of an eye the desert was gone, leaving you wondering if he had even been served a piece. He loved dressing well and enjoyed shopping for himself, especially for his custom-made suits, as he said, “you feel good when you look good.”

Upon retiring at 55, and having a sudden abundance of free time, Orazio found joy spending further time with family and friends, as well as his daily routine of taking long walks around the community and often far beyond. He also filled his day watching sports and became a huge fan of watching golf due to Tiger Woods, who inspired him to play his first golf game with his two sons at the age of 70, leaving them both in disbelief of his hand eye coordination and natural golfing ability. From that day he was hooked and would often play 2 to 3 rounds a week for more than 10 years, ultimately achieving golf scores in the low to mid 90’s, with his trusty 5 iron always delivering.

Orazio will be missed for many things, especially his unique style of story telling, his jokes, his laughter, and his endless supply of swear words and phrases in Italian.

Orazio was a loving and loyal husband, an incredible father, an awesome nonno, and a great friend to many.

He is survived primarily by his beloved wife of 61 years, Lucia Di Manno (nee Contrada), sons Angelo (Anna) and Berto (Sonia), and grandchildren Anthony, Andrena (Mitch), Elena, and Eva. He was predeceased by his father Angelo Marino Di Manno, his mother Bianchi Maria Civita, his brothers Dominic and Vittorio, and sisters Elena, Cosenza, and Maria.

All family and friends are invited to pay their respects and attend a Funeral Mass celebrated at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish (1714 14 Ave NE, Calgary, AB) on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Entombment services will follow immediately after Mass at Queen’s Park Mausoleum (3219 4 St NW, Calgary, AB).

If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made directly to the Dementia and Alzheimer Society of Calgary through their website at https://www.alzheimercalgary.ca

Our family wishes to extend their sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the doctors and staff at AgeCare SkyPointe and Brentwood Care Center for the care, compassion, and support they provided.