Obituary of Osvaldo Marcaccio

After a short illness, Bobo Marcaccio passed away on October 12, 2024, at Kingsway Lodge in St. Marys, Ontario at the age of 93.
 

Predeceased by his parents Vincenzo (1965) and Maria (1983) Marcaccio and sisters Olia Rocchetti (2015) and Elda Sgariglia (2019).
 

Sadly, missed by his nieces Loriana Giordan (Loris), Denise Richardson (Charlie) and grandnieces Samantha Giordan, Emily Richardson and Isabel Richardson.
 

Bobo was a fixture around the town of St. Marys, living life to the fullest. Born in St. Marys, he never married but lived with his mother until her passing in 1983. In the summer of 1939, his family returned to Italy for a brief vacation but were forced to live out the war as refugees in enemy territory when war was declared in September 1939. He often told the story of having to hide in the hay loft when the German army was out doing patrols. In 1948 the family returned to St. Marys where he lived on Water Street until 2019.

As a young man, Bobo landed a job at St. Marys Cement Company in the production equipment maintenance department and worked there until he retired after 36 years of service. Bobo was always a “fixer”. He liked to tinker with things. Many a time we’d find him bending over the hood of his beloved Mustang or Camry, ensuring it was running at optimal performance. Or replacing a tire on his trusty bike, a favourite conveyance to get around town in his later years. Bobo also kept himself busy excelling at curling and bowling, winning a few trophies during the long, cold days of winter. In the summer, you would find him invariably on the golf course at St. Marys Golf and Country Club where he was a fixture for many years. Many a golfer would exclaim at his perfect form and long drives. He spent many of his winters at his condo in Florida so that he could continue to play and watch the pros play the game he loved year-round. His keen interest in golf never faded, even after his golf clubs were retired for good. He could be seen watching PGA golf tournaments on TV frequently and comparing the latest up-and-coming pro golfers to his favourite golfer, Ben Hogan, in discussions with his nephews. Many local residents will recall Bobo cycling around town – at all hours of the day or night! He would hop on his bike to pick up a few groceries or to grab a coffee downtown or just to check out what was going on around town.
 

In his later years, he eventually joined the Fairhill community where he enjoyed a short stay in one of the apartments there before transitioning to Kingsway Lodge. Many locals would see Bobo making the almost daily trip to Tim Hortons for a coffee (and maybe a treat too). It didn’t matter what type of weather – nothing would stop Bobo from making that trek to Timmie’s. Every Sunday he would walk up the steep hill to the Holy Name of Mary Church for Sunday Mass until he was physically unable to make the journey. There was always a fellow parishioner that would gladly offer him a ride back to Kingsway when it was clear the walk would be tough for him without some help.

Many of the Kingsway staff will remember his sense of humour and enjoyed spending time chatting with him each day as he sat by the nurses’ station, always wanting to be in on the action around the retirement home. As time passed, Bobo became less mobile, but he was always keen to tease the staff and share a joke. A special thank you to the Kingsway team for their care and support over the last 5 years.

Before his recent illness, his nieces were fortunate enough to have enjoyed a lovely visit with Bobo, taking him for a stroll in the sunshine and having a nice chat in the Kingsway gardens, sharing a few stories and updating him on his grand nieces’ exploits. This is the memory we will keep close to our hearts.

Rest in peace, dear Uncle.

Visitation will take place at the Andrew L. Hodges Funeral Home, 47 Wellington St. S. St. Marys, on Thursday, October 17 from 9:30- 10:30. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 on Thursday, October 17 th at HOLY NAME OF MARY PARISH, Northwest coroner of Peel St. N. and Widder St. E. St. Marys. Internment in the St. Marys Cemetery. Reception to follow at Holy Name of Mary Parish Hall.

Memorial donations may be made to

Holy Name of Mary Parish
c/o St. Joseph’s Church, 96 Huron St., Stratford ON N5A 5S6

or Heart and Stroke Foundation
2300 Yonge St. #1200
Toronto, Ont. M4P 1E4