Anthony Gerald Catania

Anthony (“Tony”) Catania, beloved by his spouse, children, grandchildren, friends, and community passed away peacefully at our family home in The Woodlands, Texas on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the age of 84. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and everyone whose lives he touched along the way in Marriage Encounter, as a Deacon at the Church, and in his daily life. He was devoted to his faith, his family, and his friends.

Tony is survived by his loving wife, Laura Catania, his children, Maria and her husband, John Thorburn, Michael and his wife, Kathleen, Tony and his wife Patti, and Christopher Catania. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Colleen, Dominic, Cecilia, Finn, and Enzo, and by his brother and sister, John and his wife Cheryl, and Diane and her husband, Tom Witkowski. His brother Paul passed last year and is also remembered with fondness.

Tony was born in Buffalo, New York on April 18, 1941, the eldest of 5 children. He attended Canisius College and was the first from his family to earn a college degree. He was a salesman at heart, though he held a variety of jobs throughout his life (service station mechanic, sanitation engineer, accountant). Ultimately, when he moved to Texas in the late 70’s, he sold computer hardware and then software on a commercial scale and was successful enough to retire early and go back to school to become a Deacon of the Catholic Church. Anyone who knows Tony will know him as a man of great faith and religious dedication. Becoming a deacon fulfilled a lifelong dream and calling to be a part of the Catholic clergy. After graduation from the seminary, he served as a Deacon at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church in The Woodlands for many years until recent health issues prevented him from doing so on a full-time basis. Even after that he continued to serve when he could up until just a few weeks ago.

Second only to his dedication to the Church, Tony loved Laura. They had a 60-year love affair that was an example to all who knew them as a couple, from friends and family to their Marriage Encounter groups and engaged couples they sponsored and mentored. Their shared commitment to many ministries helped them touch so many lives which in turn touched them as well. They cherished each other and the bond they built and nurtured through their faith. Together with their very best friends they cruised all around the world and shared many adventures.

His family will always cherish their memories of him, especially from the yearly family vacations that got everyone together to reconnect and play games. He had a very exclusive “Social Club” with his grandchildren that meant only Papa and grandkids were allowed and they would have ice cream together.

Tony was also a sportsman and an avid sports fan. He played and taught his boys to play all racquet sports, and used to regularly whip us all at ping pong, racquetball, and tennis. He was also a very competitive card and board game player, though he often made up some of the rules as we went along. In Buffalo, he was a fan of the Sabres and Bills, and those teams always had a place in his heart, but when he moved south, he quickly became a fan of the Houston Astros, Rockets, and Oilers/Texans.

The family would like to express their everlasting gratitude for all those especially close friends and neighbors who have and continue to support them in so many ways.

The funeral will be held at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church in The Woodlands, Texas at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026. There will be a viewing and rosary at 1:30 pm. All friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to St Vincent de Paul in memory of Tony.

There are two livestream links -- one for Facebook and one for YouTube. People can use either one to access the livestream. They can also view the funeral any time after the funeral as well.

https://www.youtube.com/ssjwoodlands

https://www.facebook.com/ssjwoodlands/