John was born in Campodimele, in the province of Latina, Italy. At the age of nine, he immigrated to Canada with his family. During World War II, he served as a barber in the Canadian Army, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1950, he returned to Italy where he met and wed his beautiful bride, Tina De Bonis, in the nearby town of Fondi. John returned to Vancouver and Tina joined him in July 1951. Soon thereafter their first child (Mary) was born, and they went on to have four more children who they raised in East Vancouver.
John was a unique person to say the least. He enjoyed good Italian food and loved the opera. In fact, his own voice could have given Pavarotti a run for his money. He was a deep thinker, and although somewhat of a loner, he could become the life of the party when the mood (& wine) struck him. He was interested in knowing the news of the day and discussing it with his clients and friends during his many years as a barber. John was known to be a wise, one-of-a-kind man.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Tina; his children Mary (Ken), Gerry, Anita (Don/"Kelly"), Dino (Flavia) and Lisa; his two grandchildren Graham and Sabrina; his sister Connie, sister-in-law Eva, brother-in-law Victor, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents Gerardo and Maria, brother Paul, sisters Dina and Eleanora and many in-laws. The family would like to thank the staff at the Arbutus Care Centre, especially those on the first floor, for their care and attention to John in the past two years. A Visitation will be offered on Thursday, September 10th, 2020, from 6-8pm at Ocean View Funeral Home, 4000 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC. A small, private funeral service will be held in the near future.
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