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Giovanni Barbuio
Giovanni passed away at the age of 91, as the same independent, strong, loving man
he always was. Now reunited with his cherished wife Maria of 48 years. He was the
loving and very proud father of Randy and his wife Tracey, Lenard and his wife Anna.
Giovanni adored his grandchildren Megan, Thomas and Erin. He beamed with pride
every time he spoke of them and they loved him, saw him as an inspiration, and thought
he was the cutest Nonno ever! Predeceased by his sisters, Marcella and Maria. He was
very close to his nieces and nephews. He was known as husband, Dad, Nonno, brother,
Zio and friend. But regardless of how anyone knew him, everyone knew him as the
same generous, kind-hearted, loving and compassionate soul. Much like his bright
coloured canaries, his presence lit up any room, always striving to make others smile.
You couldn’t leave his house without fresh vegetables and eggs from the mini farm he
had in his backyard, homemade tomato sauce or pasta e fagioli, because food was his
love language. He took pride in everything he did, whether that was spending time with
family and friends, his work as a terrazzo mechanic for 40 years, or tending to his many
hobbies. These hobbies included gardening, wine and sausage making, tending to his
canaries and chickens, dancing, and being a pro bowler on the side. His grandchildren
fondly recall all the little details he remembered, as they were very important to him.
Such as putting the cheese in front of Thomas at dinner (even when it didn’t go with the
meal because it was still his favourite part), making sure Erin got sent home with
prosciutto and a whole wheel of her favourite cheese, and always sending Megan home
with radicchio and cucumbers (because they shared a dislike for tomatoes). This
paragraph could easily be a novel to cover all the great memories he shared with
everyone he loved, and how amazing he truly was. “You better believe it!”