Nunziantonio Parente
elevated hfJ8M March 25, 1944 ~ February 5, 2025
elevated hfJ8M Visitation
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 2-4 p.m. & 6-8 p.m.
elevated hfJ8M Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 3Z6
elevated hfJ8M Funeral Mass
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.
Chapel of St. Joseph – Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
elevated hfJ8M Entombment
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery – Holy Cross Family Mausoleum
8361 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2C7
elevated hfJ8M Click here to watch the Mass
elevated hfJ8M Obituary
elevated hfJ8M After facing cancer with courage, strength, and grace for almost two years, God called Nunzio home on February 5, 2025 at the age of 80. He passed away peacefully at home in the arms of his devoted wife Maria Laura.
elevated hfJ8M Cherished by his daughters Maria Carla and Sandra.
elevated hfJ8M Beloved son of the late Carlo Antonio Parente and Mariantonia Niro; he is survived by his loving siblings Carmela Pallotta (Antonio) and Michele Parente (predeceased by his wife Celestina).
elevated hfJ8M He will be held dear in the hearts of his many brothers/sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, Godchildren, friends, and neighbours.
elevated hfJ8M Born in Guardiaregia, Campobasso, Molise, Italy, Nunzio immigrated to Toronto in 1963. In 1966 he married and started a new life with his beloved wife of almost 59 years. Together they raised two daughters who learned to be strong and independent by the example he set forth. He was a very loving and devoted husband and the most wonderful, caring father a child could ask for.
elevated hfJ8M Everywhere he went, people were drawn to Nunzio’s kind, warm and compassionate nature. He had an unselfish concern for the welfare of others and was always willing to help those in need at the drop of a hat.
elevated hfJ8M Nunzio loved spending time with friends and family, whether he was entertaining at home, playing cards at his social club, attending a dinner dance or vacationing by the ocean. In social settings he made friends easily, often gravitating towards those much older than him to learn their life stories.
elevated hfJ8M Nunzio was very creative and resourceful with an insatiable curiosity and a deep passion for learning. Music captivated him from a young age, and he had a lifelong desire to play an instrument. Later in life he took it upon himself to learn to play the accordion by ear and loved sharing the joy of making music with others.
elevated hfJ8M His love for nature was equally profound; he designed and built an award-winning rock garden complete with a pond and flowing water feature; a testament to his vision and craftsmanship.
elevated hfJ8M His desire to understand how things worked fueled his lifelong dedication to learning, creating, and building. He approached challenges with thoughtful insight and a keen sense of ingenuity, leaving behind not only the beautiful things he made but also the knowledge and perspective he shared with those around him.
elevated hfJ8M Nunzio leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, compassion, and generosity.
elevated hfJ8M In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation directed to “Mesothelioma Research Fund” @ www.thepmcf.ca
elevated hfJ8M The family wishes to thank Dr. Penelope Bradbury and her team at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as the palliative nurses and PSW’s for the compassionate care Nunzio received.
Our sincere condolences to the entire Parente family, Nunzio was a very special gentleman, he will be greatly missed!
I will think of Nunzio and the friendly camaraderie we shared especially on every Christmas Eve, when we often enjoyed Laura’s feast of the seven fishes, including Nunzio’s authentic bacalla cooked in the clay pot in the fireplace!
My sincere condolences to you Carla and family on your loss. Praying that the Lord Jesus will comfort you and surround you in His love in your sorrow.
Deepest condolences to the family. May you find comfort in the many memories.
Dear Carla and Family, My sincere condolences on the passing of your father. May you find strength and peace in the memories you shared.
I had the privilege of visiting my son Amr’s family in Toronto during the summer of 2023, where I was fortunate to meet Nunzo( as he is fondly known ) and his wonderful family. As dear friends and neighbors to my son’s family, Nunzo his wife Laura, and their daughters extended their warmth and kindness not only to them but also to us.
Nunzo’s generosity and willingness to help others at a moment’s notice was truly remarkable, a trait he shared with his loving wife. My wife and I were welcomed into their home many times for tea and conversation, even as he battled his illness with grace and strength. Despite his health challenges, he always greeted us with warmth and kindness, a testament to his unwavering spirit and compassionate heart.
May the Lord accept and reward him abundantly for the countless good deeds he performed in this world. I pray that God grants his wife Laura and their daughters the strength to bear this immense loss and to carry forward the beautiful legacy he left behind—one of selflessness, generosity, and love for others.
Amen
Mrs & Mr Syed
Bangalore, India
Nunzio was such a lovely man. Always so kind. He always had a take to tell, & it reminded me of my dad, & I loved those old stories.
Nunzio, salutami papà.
Le nostre condoglianze Cristina & Lucia Sampogna (Guardiaregia, Italia)
Our deepest condolences to Laura , Maria Carla , Sandra , Carmela and Michele . Nunzio will always be remembered as a descent, carrying , loving man who always had a smile on his face .
God Bless
Nick and Carmen
Our heart felt condolences to the family, Nunzio is a wonderful person that has touched many hearts in his journey of life.
Missed but never forgotten!
Dominic Sampogna and family
Our sincere condolences to Laura, Sandra and Carla.
He will be missed.
Nunzio was always a good neighbour to our family. Later, he was a good friend to my late father Joe.
Nunzio and Laura were always taking care of my dad. Whether it was with food or clearing his driveway, Nunzio was there.
My favourite memory of dad and Nunzio was when they posed for a photo of the fig tree that towered over our house. The two of them took care of it, from planting it to protecting it during the winter.
He was a kind and caring man. He always made our family welcomed.
We had the privilege to call Nunzio both friend and neighbour. He was wonderful at being both.
As so many have noted, his generosity and heart knew no limits when it came to lending a helping hand.
He also happened to know how to do just about everything! And more often than not, when Nunzio came over to our house to help us fix something or lend a helping hand, he would bring over something delicious made by Laura. He would always shake his head if you tried to say thank you as if to say “why are you thanking me??”. Giving, helping and making people smile was who he was.
Laura, Carla and Sandra, sending you much love, healing soul thoughts and prayers that your beautiful memories of Nunzio will one day soon replace your tears with smiles.
Lots of love and God’s comforting blessings, Suzan and Jim Zuber
A beloved father will never be forgotten. He will always be with you in all your memories and within your heart. God Blessed! Joan and Ralph Halliday & family.
Carla and family, we are so sorry to hear about the passing of your father. I had the pleasure of spending time with your family for one of the family feasts. Enjoy the wonderful memories. Please take care.
Blair and Linda Garnhum from PEI
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.
From what I’ve heard, your father was a phenomenal man.
When we lose someone close to us, like a father, they continue to live on through us and give us strength.
Stay strong.
Dear Laura, Carla and Sandra, my condolences to the passing of Nunzio. I enjoyed many conversations with him over the years. He will be missed by many.
We may not be able to make it to the visitation tonight, due to the weather, but we wanted to pass along our sincere condolences on the passing of Nunzio. May his memory always be a blessing and bring comfort to all who knew him. With affection from Filomena DeCesare, Maria Pallotta and Anthony & Margherita DeCesare and family.
Nunzio was truly more like family to us than just someone who lived next door. He was a source of love, support, and kindness, always there when we needed a helping hand or a comforting word. Whether it was lending a hand with small tasks or simply being a friend to talk to, Nunzio made our lives richer with his generosity and care.
His warmth went beyond the typical neighborly bond, and we are forever grateful for the love he brought into our lives.
We will forever cherish the memory of his selflessness and the deep connection we had. We have lost someone who was truly like family to us. Our hearts are with Laura, Carla and Sandra during this difficult time.
We will miss you Nunzio.
Laura don’t be sad. We are here for you
We are so sorry for your loss. Sending all our love to the family.
Sharon, Matthew, Jess and Alicia
Our sincerest condolences to the entire Parente family. We are very sorry to hear of your loss.
Dear Laura, Carla and Sandra. My sincere condolences on the passing of Nunzio. Sending you healing prayers for strength and I hope your happy memories that you shared together will give you comfort. May Nunzio Rest in Peace with our Lord.