Remo Tacconelli

We sadly share news of the passing of REMO Gildo TACCONELLI, our loving and much-loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather and dear and devoted husband of 67 years to Maria. We recognize and appreciate that many cherished him as a brother, uncle, and friend.

Remo leaves behind his beloved Maria, children, and spouses Renato and Antonietta, Marisa and Francesco, grandchildren and partners, Christina and David, Alex and Cassandra, Simon and Sophia, and Perri and Steven, and the newest most cherished member of our family, Julian.

Dad struggled with congestive heart failure and associated complications these past few years, during which he required four hospital admissions. Unfortunately, a longer stay was needed during his last admission, and after two weeks, on the day of his planned discharge, a deterioration was assessed. Within two days, on Sunday March 28, 2021, and to our shock, the doctors learned that our dad had contracted COVID-19. At first, he responded well to recommended treatment and we were hopeful. Tragically, the situation changed within a short time during his last night and our dear father passed late morning on Good Friday, April 2, 2021.

With sorrow, our father and his siblings recently lost their dear brothers. Dad had a rich history of childhood experiences with his brother Alfredo who passed in 2017. His brother Luigi passed away in January of this year. He and Mom lost their close friends Mary and husband Gabriele in 2005 and 2017, respectively. Gabriele was Dad’s close childhood friend. Dad’s brother-in-law, Frank, passed just pre-pandemic and we were thankfully able to have a less restrictive memorial — our last funeral gathering that brought friends and family together.

Some cheerful memories of our dad include him dressing up in a woman’s coat and hat and applying make-up for a 1960s Halloween trick-or-treat. He surprised Zia Maria, Zio Tony and Sylvia who lived next door on Glenholme Ave. Adults and we children laughed with delight. He gave his young nephew David “piggyback rides” up and down the hallway. Little brothers Claudio and Steven would later also enjoy these “horsey rides”. Every August, Dad supervised our annual Tomato Sauce (Sugo) Day in our parents’ garage, with a growing roster for the assembly line: children, grandchildren, spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, and friends. The Sugo team enjoyed the tasty focaccia made and delivered by dear family friends and neighbours, Iolanda and Amato. What a tasty treat to accompany our tradition!

Every February, Dad happily joined his wife and sister-in-law, our Zia Iolanda, in making sausages. To Dad’s amusement, Zia kept others in line; son-in-law, Frank, received a “talking to” about proper sausage-making technique, while grandchildren Alex and Perri could do no wrong in Zia and Nonni’s eyes. Just a few years ago, Dad proudly danced all night with his granddaughters, Perri and Christina, and Mom at Christina’s wedding. He did not want to waste a moment. Like many of us, he enjoyed Tacconelli family picnics, where he competitively played cards with his brother Giustino for hours, each jokingly accusing the other of cheating. This past year, Dad was able to enjoy some visits with family: we ate spiedini with his brother Mario and family in the backyard; he and Mom spent time with her brother Ernesto and his wife Angela; and his sister Onorina visited for an afternoon. A recent memory is of our father waking from a nap, delighted to see sweet baby Julian greeting him. Sharing kisses and hugs, he was also able to witness Julian dance to the song “Dominic the Donkey” around the coffee table before his last admission to the hospital.

Those who knew our father knew him to be kind, hardworking, and quite the storyteller. He proudly joined his brothers and friend in owning and running a successful sewer and watermain construction company. He enjoyed humour and often made people laugh. He was a gracious and appreciative person. Our dad was a proud Canadian, immigrating alone in 1953 to create a better life than what was possible in post-war Italy. He always wore a tiny Canadian flag pin. He cherished his family and certainly was overjoyed with the arrival of his first great-grandchild Julian on August 2, 2019. Our dad was proud of what he was able to accomplish for and with his wife, children, and grandchildren. We are certainly very proud of him, his courageous journey, and the beautiful gentle person that he was and remains for us. We have a wealth of memories of our dear father to help us through our loss and grief, and we hope you feel the same.

Donations in Remo's name, if desired, may be made to: St. Augustine of Canterbury Church https://community.archtoronto.org/ or to to the University Health Network, UHN Foundation by visting www.uhnfoundation.ca/tribute
or by calling 416-603-5300.

Please note registrations (RSVP) for the afternoon period of visitation ( 4pm - 6pm) currently have the maximum number of guests allowed to pay their respects, while following the provincial capacity guidelines.

Family wish to give those who wish to pay their respects, an opportunity to come during the hours of 7 to 8:00pm. We encourage guests to register (RSVP) through the link provided,

Effective March 15th, 2021, as per the mandate of the Bereavement Authority and to safely manage and adhere to social distancing requirements, please RSVP for the visitation and service.
Wearing of masks or face coverings by everyone is mandatory as per the Provincial Regulations.
Respecting the current situation and pandemic restrictions, the funeral service (mass) and interment (entombment) will be private.
We thank you for your understanding and encourage you to provide your condolences to the family through his memorial page.