Anthony W. "Tony" Rossi Jr.

Anthony (Tony) Rossi Jr. passes away at 92 Anthony (Tony) Rossi Jr., age 92, of Altamonte Springs FL (formerly of Sharpsville, PA) passed away from natural causes at 3:00 PM EDT on May 20, 2017. Born on December 19, 1924 in Arnold, PA, to parents Anthony and Anna Rossi, Tony’s family moved to Farrell, PA where he attended school. He was preceded in death by his six siblings Nick Rossi, Lucy (Rossi) Palanti, Jim Rossi, John Rossi, Sam Rossi, and Angelo Rossi and his grandson John Rossi. Mr. Rossi joined the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1940 and served in the Army during World War II. As a member of the Army Corp of Engineers, he was deployed to India and Burma for 33 months where he rose to the rank of Corporal. His company was a significant contributor in the construction of the China-Burma (Ledo) Road, a vital supply route. Upon returning from the war Anthony married Palma (Toscano) Rossi and they enjoyed 71 years of marriage. Mrs. Rossi is 93 years old and remains living in Florida. Mr. Rossi is also survived by four children, two daughters-in-law, two grand-children, and one great, grandchild. Surviving Mr. Rossi are his children, Marilyn Rossi (Apopka, FL), Anthony (Tony) Rossi III and wife, Debi (Hull) Rossi (Apopka, FL), Anita (Rossi) Killen (Apopka, FL), and David Rossi and wife, Sherry (Rowles) Rossi (Fort Worth, TX). Also surviving are grandchildren Sara (Rossi) Statis and husband Steve Statis (Chicago, IL), Jerry Killen, (Orlando, FL), and great grandchild, Gianni Rossi (New Jersey). Anthony worked as a crane operator at Westinghouse Electric in Sharon, PA for 35 years and retired in 1983. He also worked in maintenance at Kennedy Christian High School for many years. Anthony was an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Church, The Holy Name Society, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Many remember Tony for his volunteer coaching. He coached youth football, youth basketball, and was a manager in Little League baseball for many years. In 1972 Tony’s Little League Giants achieved a perfect season record of 20-0 while ensuring that every player played every game, a principle he fought to be a part of every youth sport he coached. Mr. Rossi also served on the Sharpsville School Board for six years including two as board President. After retiring Mr. and Mrs. Rossi moved from their home in Sharpsville to the Altamonte Springs, FL community where they enjoyed an active retirement life. In addition to bowling, Tony was a founding member of the Apopka, FL VFW Post 10147. He worked with the city of Altamonte Springs to build and establish Bocce courts where leagues continue to flourish. Tony and Palma continued to compete in Bocce leagues until his 90th birthday. He and his wife Palma enjoyed teaching the sport of Bocce to school children. In 2009, the city of Altamonte honored Mr. Rossi with a permanent plaque commemorating his contributions and dubbing him Altamonte Spring’s “Mr. Bocce.” There will be a public visitation at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home, 90 Weathersfield Ave., Altamonte Springs on May 31, 2017 from 5:00-7:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, June 1st at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 526 N Park Ave in Winter Park, FL. A private military burial service will be held at Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell on Friday June 2nd. In lieu of flowers, the family has established a memorial fund set up to assist veterans in need and to support Dementia research and treatment. Donations can be made online by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/rossi-family-memorial-fund. Checks can be mailed to: Rossi Family Memorial Fund, 11833 River View Way, Aledo, TX 76008. The Rossi family thanks you for your kindness and support.