Antonio Tony DiCiocco, 73
Antonio “Tony” DiCiocco, 73, passed away May 18, 2011, in Libby.
He was born July 30, 1937, in the mountains of Agnone, Italy, to Phillemona and Mikail DiCiocco. He grew up and attended school in Italy.
He had a passion for cooking and attended culinary schools in Paris and Switzerland. His first wife's family brought him to America and he proudly received his U.S. citizenship in 1961 in Akron, Ohio. His daughter Vana was born there.
After his marriage ended, he went searching for mountains and cooking opportunities while traveling across the eastern U.S., down to Florida, across the south to Texas and on to California. He worked in many fine restaurants there and Lake Tahoe for five years where he enjoyed meeting many of the celebrities they prepared meals for. His specialty was being a “saucier” and international chef.
The mountains of Montana led him to Whitefish in 1975, where he worked in many of the local restaurants. In 1989 he met his best friend and the love of his life, Thelma (Managhan) Kelch. They married in 1991, and again the mountains moved them to Libby, in 1994. He continued cooking for a few years and shared some of his talents teaching at the community college for a short time.
He had a special talent and ability to learn languages, speaking five languages fluently and always learning the basics of each country he visited before traveling there. He had studied Spanish in Madrid and also taught some classes and many individuals during his lifetime. Many winter hours were spent studying. He enjoyed making homemade wine and loved planting trees and grafting, having one apple tree with five different kinds of apples, and many colored lilacs. Everywhere he lived, he left a living forest behind him. He owned his own rental property business, many times sharing his warm heart with those in need.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Mario.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma, of Libby, feeling so blessed and lucky to have enjoyed these last 20 years together; daughter, Vana Vaccaro, of Ohio; stepchildren, Jennifer Kelch of Kalispell, and Wade Kelch and Kathy of Marion; a brother, Ercoline DiCiocco, of Italy; grandchildren, Danielle, Courtney, Angel, Kintla, Dameon and Griffin; mother-in-law, Bernice Managhan; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Ray and Bev Managhan, Bob and June Managhan, Faye Freeman, Richard and Anna Managhan, and Patty and Bart Binegar, and all their extended families
Services will be at 11 a.m. today, May 24, at the Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home Chapel, 422 W. 2nd St., in Libby, followed by lunch at “Tony's Villa” on Parmenter Drive. Burial will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery in Kalispell, followed by a reception at the Senior Center, 403 Second Ave. W.
Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice; or simply plant a tree in his memory.