Tony Morello Obituary
Anthony "Tony" Morello died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 29, 2023, due to complications related to dementia. Born on May 10, 1938, he lived the American Dream. Beginning at age nine, he shined shoes on the streets of New York to support his mother and seven siblings. As a teenager, he held a variety of jobs from bicycle delivery person in New York to walking steel beams as a "gofer" on construction sites in Cleveland. Eventually, he began work in a warehouse of a foreign automobile parts company and rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as the firm's Director of Marketing. In his later years, he became a business owner and found a new passion in digital imaging, bringing new life to old photographs and turning his grandchildren's hobbies into poster-size achievements.
Not only was Tony a hard worker and lifelong learner, he also fully embraced life. A voracious, eclectic reader, he took great joy in his "liberry," and at one point, proudly observed that he had read all of the hundreds of books he collected. An accomplished gardener and home cook, he could effortlessly conjure a bountiful, delicious meal at a moment's notice while regaling his guests with riotous tales shouted across the house. Known by some as "golden throat," he loved to sing anything from pop to rock to opera, and most especially, Broadway show tunes. And even into his eighties, he never met a "do-it-yourself" home project he couldn't take on.
Without question, Tony will be missed for his enormous capacity for love. He cherished, supported and cared for his family and friends, teaching us all to find joy in the little moments together— from a trip to the circus to buying candy and lotto tickets at the corner store. Tony understood that sharing love generously was truly the greatest gift. To paraphrase Dickens: He honored Christmas in his heart and kept it all the year.
Tony is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Mildred "Millie" Morello, his loving daughter Donna Logue and her husband Stanley Di Cicco, son Mark Morello and his wife Dawn Morello, and his beloved grandchildren John "Jack" Logue, Catherine "Cate" Logue and her husband Jeremy Mudd, Nicole Wright and her husband Eliott Wright, Jennifer "Jen" Morello and Luke Morello.
On the day he died, the Rose of Sharon tree outside his window was in full bloom.
Instead of flowers, the family requests Tony's memory be honored by donations to hospicecarenetwork.org or a special fund in his name for children in need of financial assistance at Stephen Gaynor School, a school for children with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia (stephengaynor.org).
