He wasn’t keen to tell you what the “G” really stood for, but many adjectives come to mind: genial, gentle, gentlemanly, genuine, good, gracious, great, even gullible, but the most appropriate would be giving or generous; and the “G” could have been an “E”, because this man was extraordinary. He was the 11th of 12 children born to Giuseppe and Maria, and with his passing they now are all reunited. For more than 40 years he was a loyal and dedicated office manager for a small and unobtrusive plumbing and sheet metal company in Etobicoke; but these qualities were even more evident when applied to family. He wasn’t just “Uncle George” to those who were his legitimate nieces and nephews; but “Uncle” George to literally anyone who knew him well.

George played hockey and football in his youth, golf as he matured, and then became an avid gardener in midlife and retirement. He eagerly followed the fortunes of the Leafs to the end. He had an ardent interest in geography, and although principally an “armchair traveller,” for many years he would visit flea markets in the GTA on Sundays to collect antiques of interest; and he really enjoyed day trips with friends throughout Southern Ontario in his later years.

He was a humble man, and his simple home was his castle. He was a faithful man, attending mass weekly at St. Dominic’s for more than 60 years. A lifelong bachelor, he lived with and tended to his mother until she passed away more than 46 years ago--an event that virtually marked the midpoint of his life. She lit up like a candelabra when he came home from work and started tickling her chin to make her laugh. In her final years
she was confined to a wheelchair and had to live with a colostomy after surgery to remove a cancerous tumour. He cheerfully changed her bag each day to make life more bearable for her, and should be credited for her longevity… she was nine days short of 90 when she died in 1977… a milestone that might equate to 100 today.

Always attentive to and considerate of other members of his immediate family, with his mother’s passing his focus on family grew greater still. As nieces and nephews married and had children of their own, he became a surrogate grandfather to each of them, never forgetting to honour them with gifts for their birthdays and at Christmas and Easter. He once said that Dollarama was a “god send” because he could buy knick-knacks and candy for the kids when they came to see him, which was often weekly or even more frequently.

He treated his siblings and in-laws with reverence and respect, also always remembering them with gifts for their birthdays and at Christmas. Ditto for his nieces and nephews— Santa Claus in our midst. He was very well organized to orchestrate all of this each year; and he never tired or waned in his passion to display his generosity like this. In the weeks before he died, he was seemingly obsessed with buying Christmas cards and gifts for family when he managed to get out; and the week before he died, as had become an annual tradition, he brought chocolates for the staff at the local branch of his bank. He hosted New Year’s Eve parties for the families of his closest siblings, and entertained them in his home on Sunday and Wednesday evenings for decades.

Independent, self-reliant, and often stubbornly refusing help, it’s not that he lacked grace, but that he didn’t want to impose or burden others with his problems. He wasn’t very good at saying “thanks,” choosing instead to line your pocket with cash or give you a gift to show his appreciation. He always gave, never wanting or expecting anything in return. He embodied the platitude that “it is better to give than to receive.”

Rest in peace Uncle George, and may God be with you.

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