MARTONE, Maria Lucia (Lucy)

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of our wife,
mother, grandmother and sibling on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Lucy
(Tarantino) Martone, in her 83rd year, was the beloved wife of Antonio
Martone. She was the loving mother of Donato and his wife Sandra, Gino and
his wife Sandra, and Anna Witt and her husband Dan. Lucy was the proud
Nonna of Elisa, Giulia, Renata, Christopher, Mark, Brandon, Dylan, and
Madison. She was the dear sister of Pia, Nino, Michele, Adrianna and the
late Giuseppe.

Lucy was born in Bella, a small mountain top town in southern Italy on May
1, 1936 where she met and married her life-long husband Antonio (Tony)in
1956. Born with an endless amount of love and generosity to share, as the
eldest of six, she took care of her younger siblings, sewing clothes from
remnants and preparing meals from the fruits of their farm. She had a
strong faith life and lived ‘to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk
humbly with thy God’
We were always inspired by her selflessness and quiet strength – forever
encouraging us to ‘be kind’ and to ‘work together’. Her heart was filled
by seeing the ‘beauty in all’ and for us to understand one another and to
do better. Lucy will always be remembered as a mother to everyone she
touched. No one ever left her presence without a kind smile, words of
endearment or a full meal.

Her talents were enormous. A fantastic cook, she was able to create a
feast out of the most simplest ingredients, most importantly, that of
love. Every August, she would make a bounty of tomato sauce for those
delicious pasta dinners. Our family feasts were endless. When we were done
a meal, it was time to prepare for the next one. If there weren’t left
overs, then we didn’t prepare enough. If there was too much, then everyone
left the house with care packages. As an accomplished seamstress, she made
dresses, suits and clothed our houses to make them a home. She could also
swing a hammer, helping to frame and raise the walls of our first family
home.

The latter years became a challenge as her physical condition
deteriorated. Even as her eyesight and body became frail, her complaints
were only whispers. Every ache or pain disappeared with the voices of her
grandchildren. She found immense strength and joy from her family. She was
often found cheering at a hockey/soccer/volleyball game, praising her
grandchildren at their dance recitals and beaming with pride at every
child’s accomplishment. Her love is imprinted in each one of us.
Fittingly, her name ‘Lucia’ meaning ‘light’ was true by any measure.
What most of us overlooked in our day to day lives, she noticed the wonder
in the small treasures of God’s work; a flower, a sunrise, the nourishing
spring rain, and the beauty in every child. When she spoke, her words were
as a poet and the work of her hands, that of an artist. May we be
comforted knowing that a reflection of her grace resides in all of us, as
we are fortunate enough to have felt her embrace.

Please join in us in celebrating Lucy’s life on Friday, March 22, 2019 at
the Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St.
Guelph, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A Vigil for Lucy will be held at the funeral
home on Friday at 3:30 p.m. A Funeral Mass will take place at the Basilica
of Our Lady 28 Norfolk St., Guelph on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 10 a.m.
Entombment in Our Lady Immaculate Mausoleum, Marymount Cemetery, Guelph.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to Parkinson’s Canada would be
appreciated by the family. Donation cards are available at the funeral
home 519-821-5077