Anthony C. DeCristoforo

Anthony Carmine DeCristoforo, “Tony D, Mr. D, Coach D, and Umpire D,” of Barrington, passed away surrounded by his sons Anthony and Joseph on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at the age of 82. He was the widower of Rebecca Barbara (Zompa) DeCristoforo to whom he had been married for 54 years.

Born in Providence, the son of the late Carmine and Jenny (Simonelli) DeCristoforo, he lived in East Providence prior to moving to Barrington 45 years ago.

He was a graduate of East Providence Senior High School, Class of 1961, where he was a stand-out basketball player, baseball player, captain of the golf team, and drum-major of the marching band. He also enjoyed, and excelled at, playing the saxophone and clarinet.

He was then a Vietnam Era draftee into the US Army where he served for 3 years before receiving an Honorable Discharge. He spent most of his working career as a salesman and sales manager for Autocrat Coffee where he retired after 30 years of loyal service.

His volunteer service to the Barrington and East Providence communities covers several decades. He coached in both the East Providence and Barrington Little Leagues, and served many years as the Barrington Little League President. He then umpired for both leagues for many years, most games without pay, because he enjoyed watching the players grow with the game. He is remembered by parents as saying, “Strike 3, you need to swing the bat,” or “on-the-hop boys, on-the-hop; I need to get home to watch Gene Valicenti” in between innings. To a somewhat lesser extent he coached Barrington Pop Warner football. He volunteered his time in the Barrington High School Eagles Nest as the MC where he was known to call Barrington High School football players by nick-names rather than their full names, like “Joe D,” “Higney,” “Genovese,” “Macaroni,” and “The Commander.” He also served the parish of St. Lukes in many capacities. He was an in-home confirmation teacher with his wife Rebecca, a CYO boys and girls basketball coach where many division and regional championship banners still hang in the school gym, and he was an usher and performed basket collection during Sunday morning mass.

During his retirement years he spent much of his time with family, and working in his yard landscaping and gardening. He was an avid golfer and spent most of his retirement spring and summer timeframes on the Links, followed by a Dunkin ice coffee with milk, 2 sugars. He also spent some of that time, not playing, but rather revitalizing the fairways of what he called “Riverside’s hidden gem,” the Silver Spring Golf Course.

Anthony is survived by his two sons, Anthony J. DeCristoforo and Joseph M. DeCristoforo both of Riverside, RI; two grandchildren who knew him as “papa,” Anthony Nicholas DeCristoforo of Riverside, RI and Mya LuLu Feijo-DeCristoforo of Valdosta, GA; several nieces and nephews, and is predeceased by several siblings.

Private arrangements are in the care of the Wilbur-Romano Funeral Home, Warren, Rhode Island.