Anthony J. Gianni

Anthony “Tony” J. Gianni was born on May 8, 1932 and joined his golden retriever buddies Randi, Nittany and Penny on August 31, 2014. One of seven brothers, he grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He considered soft pretzels, hoagies, pizza and cheesesteaks a food group all by themselves. At 20, he enlisted in the US Army and spent his 21st birthday in a cargo plane shipping to Germany. He barely missed serving on the front line, and toured Europe instead. The only German he ever learned was “Was ist los, Fraulein?” Based on the photos and his beer stein collection, there was no language barrier. Tony was a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and never missed a weekend game. He loved his Nittany Lions. He did however have more of a love/hate relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles. All dressed up, he looked like a movie star from the Cary Grant and Clark Gable era. Later his ultra suede jackets and Sansabelt slacks were replaced with his favorite uniform…red plaid shirts and khaki pants, all 28 pairs of them. For decades he built custom homes in Philadelphia including his mother’s home and his own family home. Perhaps it was his Italian descent. Shades of avocado, red, gold and even a little black velvet would dominate. But his family stood firm. No statues on the front lawn. No plastic slipcovers on the couch. The man could never sit still. Every home his daughters ever lived in had a touch of Tony, as he would only stay for a visit if he could renovate, repair, paint or wallpaper. To this day his daughters Patrice and Denise still argue over who is his favorite. It is a draw. There was not a racetrack he didn't enjoy or a maître-d he didn't over tip. All politicians were “bums”, the IRS was “crooks” and John Wayne was the greatest cowboy ever. After 58 years of marriage, he still called his wife Patricia “the love of my life”. He always preferred brunettes, but Pat might have given him a hall pass if Olivia Newton John showed up. Tony is missed every single day and the world turned a little bit colder without him. It is his contribution to global warming; he thought that was a bunch of bunk as well. Tony is survived by his wife Patricia, his daughters and sons-in-law, Denise, Bob, Patrice, and Gary, his brothers Phil and John and sister-in-law Nancy. In addition, he has three grandchildren, Jonathan, Craig and Jill, and eight great-grandchildren. There are a lot of nieces and nephews as well. He could never keep all the names straight.