Say hello to John Mary Mamma Papa Carla and Claudio
This website is created for our loved one, Fred Campitelli. It is to share and appreciate his life amongst his family, friends, and those that knew him.
Alfredo John Campitelli
November 13, 1935 to November 30, 2013
Family and friends will be received at Highland Funeral Home (10 Cachet Woods Court in Markham 905-887-8600) on Thursday December 5 and Friday December 6, from 2:00-4:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm.
The Funeral mass will be at Our Lady of Grace Parish (15347 Yonge Street in Aurora 905-727-4594) on Saturday December 7, at 10:30am.
The burial will take place at Highland Hills Memorial Gardens (12492 Woodbine Avenue in Gormley 905-888-0729).
In his 78th year, a life cut short in a long, courageous battle with cancer, Fred passed away quietly on Saturday evening, November 30th, 2013. His last weeks and hours were spent in the company of his large and loving family who will all miss his enormous presence in their lives. By his side through the days of suffering, his wife Margaret will take comfort that his pain is gone and that his love for her is eternal.
Fred's story began in a small farmhouse on Kennedy Road in Scarborough junction, the 2nd of 5 children of Tonino and Amalia Campitelli. His life certainly did not follow a quiet and sedentary path. In these short years Fred was an integral part of the success of the business legacy built by him and his brothers, which spanned two generations. Together, with his beloved wife Margaret, he carved out a place in this world for his large and loving family, and he spent countless hours amassing innumerable friends. Ultimately, he never ventured far from his roots on the farm as he spent his happiest times in his cottage garden at Lake Simcoe.
His charitable contributions to his church, his time, effort and leadership with the Lion's Club and his constant help and support of his staff, his friends and his family, will be his legacy. His energy for life was unsurpassed, his determination in business was without equal, and the size of his heart was immeasurable.
Fred never got over the loss of his daughter, Carla, and in these last few years his heart was heavy with that sadness. He took much comfort and joy in the time he was able to spend with her children and all his grandchildren until he, himself, had to face the ravages of the same disease. Together they will now watch over their family and loved ones who will struggle with their loss in the days to come.
Fred, beloved husband of Margaret (Clinkinboomer), loving father of Anthony (Judy), Lenny (Dina), Michael, the late Carla (Nick), Linda (Kevin), cherished Nonno of Nadia, Erica, Daniella (Marcus), Marco, Lisa, Alfredo, Alisha, Joseph, Joshua, Juliette, Elliott, Ellenora, and devoted BisNonno of Hudson and Lincoln. Fred will be missed by his brothers, John (Lena), Bruno (Diane), his sisters, Mary ( late Claudio), and Vira (George), his sister-in laws Evelyn, Nellie, Penny, Gertrude, and brother-in-laws Horace and Harold. His many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews are heartbroken at his loss. A special thanks to Dr. Alan Toguri of Scarborough General Hospital and Flora Supan for their devotion and care to Fred.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Children's Wish Foundation, in memory of Fred Campitelli, at www.childrenswish.ca.
Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Adversaries,
I am Linda Campitelli, the youngest child of Alfredo (Fred, Freddie) Campitelli. If you are reading this then at some time in your life or a loved one’s life there has been a relationship or encounter with my dad, Fred. I would imagine or hope that you also know by now, that he has fallen very ill and may even leave us at some point soon. If you know my dad then you also know that he completed his academic education up to grade 8 and then began working his father’s farm. My dad always spoke about a desire he had to further his education and this lifetime desire had a lot of influence on the choices he made in life. My dad often spoke about how important it is to write down and record events in one’s life and at this time I feel that I can act upon his interest. I would like to create an on-line timeline or biography of my father’s life. I would like to create a web page dedicated to the life of my father that could be updated over periods of time.
I am asking for your help in creating this documentation. It would be great if you could please share on this website a short description of a time shared with my dad, a memory or a story. If you could accompany this description with a scanned photograph it would be a really nice complement to the timeline and it would be much appreciated. If you have more than one memory, photograph, video, or songs that you could add here would be incredibly awesome as well.
And, why you may ask, have I addressed this to fellow adversaries, well, in the course of my father’s life and still now he has no doubt offended many with his actions and words. If I were to document a true biography of my father’s life it must also include some of those times or stories as well. We must not ignore that our lives are about the good times, the bad, the funny and the ugly.
If you could do this in a rather speedy fashion it would also be appreciated. However, my plan is to continue to update this website for years to come, so by all means please send any memories you have at any time going forward.
I ask that you include your full name and the connection you have to my father. It is also important that you do your best at remembering an approximate date of the event or memory and provide that as well. And, if you happen to be sending a photograph, please indicate the place, the names of the people within the photo and an approximate date of the photograph.
Thank you very much for the contribution you have had to my father’s life and subsequently to my life as well. And, thank you for any time that you can invest into this.
If you need assistance in putting your story on this website, please just email me the story and I will add it here for you.
Take care and may God bless you,
Linda Campitelli
P.S. Please forward this website to anyone else that might be able to share a memory involving my father. In addition, if you can translate this message in Italian for me and perhaps forward an email to relatives or friends in Italy that would be greatly appreciated.
Tributes
Leave a tributeSay hello to John Mary Mamma Papa Carla and Claudio
You are always on my mind when I think of Mamma I think of you how she loved you I’m sure she is with you Johnny Mary and Lena what a tragic year it has been
Miss you love you
Vira
Angela and I sold our place in Sutton (next door to Fred and Margaret’s) last month. As we drove away with a truckload of furniture, I was reminded of how much they both welcomed us to the area.
Special people. Thoughts and prayers with The entire family.
Ken and Angela
Happy heavenly birthday love you always
Im sure Johnny and you are together with Mamma and Papa, Carla and Claudio, I miss all of you
I think about you and Johnny I pretend you are on vacation, love always
Vira
kisses and hugs
We promise you that our families will always be in touch!
Love Barbara, Elvezia & children
I carry you in my purse with Mamma and see your picture when we went to visit Evandro Sigismondi in Italy on my computer screen love you alaways
Miss you so much
hugs and kisses
You were my father figure, love always and someday we will be altogether again
I miss when you would come into work and sit in my office and tell me stories of what would happen the night before at home. You would tell me how so proud you where of all your children and grandchildren.I will always love you forever and keep you in my heart. My Godfather
You are truly missed, especially on your birthday. Our family continues to celebrate your life in all that we do. We know that you are so proud of us all, as you should continue to be, we all continue to work, love, share, learn and be proud of who we are. We will continue our journey in this world with the strength knowing that you and Carla are here with us always, guiding us along the way. We need not look far for your presence, we continue to be surrounded and loved by our family and friends that you admired and appreciated. I thank you for all my blessings.
We think about you everyday and we thank you for the wonderful memories. Love, Elliott, Ellenora, Linda and Kevin
Love you Miss you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Love Barbara
till we meet again may you rest in peace my friend.
We used to live 1 apartment over from Fred and Margaret in the very
early '60's. It worked out well for Freddie I think, as he used to come
over. a few times and sit with us when Margaret was angry with him.
We spent much time with Freddie and Margaret while we were young
until our families grew and we got into hockey, music etc. etc. We had great conversations and sitting around their kitchen table was so very pleasant.
Freddie always remembered to ask after our family - never failed as he was foremost a family person himself. I appreciated this about him and
l lot of other things too. He also proudly filled me in on happenings in
his family.
It made me inordinately pleased once when Freddie said that one could eat off my floors. I never thought anyone ever noticed my woman's work! I miss Freddie; a photo of him and Carlo taken a few years ago
by Margaret stands in our home. His smile is radiant as usual; I love
your memories Freddie.
area to pick up Christmas trees. It was -35 degrees F, the coldest 2 days we had ever experienced. We had to sleep over as it was too dark to load up the trees. We were invited into the farmer's home where the large family were all sleeping around the fireplace next to
an open door where horses were housed. The heat from the horses
helped warm the room. I said to Freddie, "I'm not sleeping here" so
we slept in the truck all night with the motor running.
Freddie paid .25 cents a tree and he sold them for .50 to .75 cents
each in Scarborough.
Freddie always called me first when he had lumber to unload from boxcars. So, my brothers and I did that for many years after our day jobs. Freddie always said that it made his life easier not having to
look for someone who would first, do the job and then do it well. As well, he was happy to help out his friends this way too.
Another time Freddie said that I was to take the truck to city hall area in Toronto and pick up a dismantled cottage and deliver it up north. I had never driven a truck so Freddie game me a five minute lesson on the
baseline in Pickering. Then, he said "you are good to go"! I was close to filling my drawers with nerves as Toronto was busy even then and I'd
never driven downtown. Freddie said "I need you to do this", so I did.
I was on my own and the whole cottage was on the truck, it was overloaded so I had to run at the hills, my foot pressed to the floor.
"Where are you Freddie, why did you do this to me?" I was so happy
on the way back until a huge bumble bee climbed up my leg. I
looked like a drunk driver coming down the 400. I dearly missed
Freddie on that trip because of his charismatic nature, interesting chat
AND, usually calm demeanour.
Although, over the years I only saw Freddie three or four times a year,
he has always been a brother in my heart. We bonded that way and I always felt that he felt the same towards me. How could one not love
Freddie with all of his great attributes?
Love Julie Sandilands and Family
Sundre, Alberta
To a Great and Wonderful Gentleman.
Rest In Peace.
While Fred had not been too active with the North Oshawa Club over the past few years he was able to contribute to and assist with our fundraising activities.
Our new members always ask who Fred Campitelli is, and we always say - he is a Lion with a big heart who has contributed greatly to the Lion organization over his many years with the Lions family.
As he would often say after one of our many talks " love ya kid". I love you too Fred.
You will be forever in my heart.
Love Karin
When it came to selling any of these items no-one could top Fred Campitelli. He even won a Golden Bunny Plaque for top sales. He would call every one he knew and ask, not if they wanted one but how many. And not how many individual items, but how many Cases. And they all went and more times than not we had to get more in just to meet demand. Fred could sell, and he was the kind of guy you didn’t want to say no to, and not many did. He had a most generous soul and always a kind word to offer. He was such a sweet man, and I am really going to miss him. Life at J&F Trucking just won’t be the same without him here.
Buona notte Fred.
Carla, Piero e Guido De Santis
Leave a Tribute
Say hello to John Mary Mamma Papa Carla and Claudio
You are always on my mind when I think of Mamma I think of you how she loved you I’m sure she is with you Johnny Mary and Lena what a tragic year it has been
Miss you love you
Vira
Angela and I sold our place in Sutton (next door to Fred and Margaret’s) last month. As we drove away with a truckload of furniture, I was reminded of how much they both welcomed us to the area.
Special people. Thoughts and prayers with The entire family.
Ken and Angela
Written by Nino Campitelli
I grew up with the family of Uncle Tony and Zia Amelia (Fred, John, Bruno, Mary and Vira parents). We lived next door to them because Uncle Tony and my father Emilio were brothers. So when I arrived in Canada Fred was already 1 (one ) year old. We played many games together and since he was the youngest of John and myself he would always get the shortest end of the stick, but we had fun. Our parents bought a horse to do farm work and it would always be an argument who was going to ride him.
In the winter time we would go across Kennedy Rd. into Rutherford's farm and scrape the snow of the ice so we could do some pleasure skating and play shinny hockey. After we were frozen to the point of not feeling our feet anymore we would go into the house get a severe talking to from our parents and then get our feet soaked in warm water. The sting and hurt would make us cry but Fred would sniff and a tear would fall but he would not let out a peep.
After our playing in the summertime and skating in the winter time we eventually get into trouble and me alone against John and Fred it would always be my fault therefore I would get the licking, but we grew up as brothers and not 1st cousins. My father's family and Uncle Toni's family to this day have always been very close.
In the summer time my father with Uncle Toni would get together and give me and Fred a bald head, we would ask why the bald head? The answer we would get was, "when your hair grows back in it would strengthen the hair roots so you will not be bald like us" ( my father and Uncle Toni were bald). Well when Fred and I got to be in our early 20s we got bald. You explain this.
Fred and I were always in competition, my wife would have a child and Margret would have one, he finally got one up on me because my wife got a miscarriage and Margret did not so Fred ended up with five children and I four. This went on for the grandchildren as well, but that wasn't enough it went on with the great grand children too but I had to give up something went missing.
When our children were small my family with Fred and his family would go on picnics, Port Dalhousie Beach, Provincial Park in Lake Simcoe, Woodland Park and so on, Later Fred and I went on various vacations, Trinidad, Mexico. We ran races,he would win a bottle of Cognac one year I would win the next. He had short legs but could he motor.
Fred and I invested in properties and mortgages, he showed me how to fight in court , we fought the city, the Town of Ajax, the Environment Government and developers, some we won and some we lost, but fight we did. I am going to miss him a lot.
Nino Campitelli
Marvin Singer
I was fortunate enough to have Fred as a friend for close to 40 years and to be his legal counsel. It was always a pleasure representing Fred because of his great love and enthusiasm for the law whether it was closing a real estate transaction or preparing a contract. In particular he enjoyed the thrust and parry of being in Court. He was very successful in his Court actions, mostly because he had the ability to identify the legal issues and his intense preparation.
One case comes to mind. In the mid-1980s Fred was involved in a trial in Niagara Falls relating to truck maintenance. He lost but strongly felt he was in the right and the Court was in error. He instructed me to prepare and file a Notice of Appeal. This was done and I ordered a trial Transcript. Upon receipt Fred scoured and analyzed it at great length as was his custom.
The day of the hearing arrived. The Prosecutor was a very senior lawyer at the Ministry of Transportation whom Fred had known for years through the trucking industry. They greeted each other warmly.
The Judge started the proceedings by making some preliminary remarks. He stated he had read the Transcript and had some concerns with the Judgment. In particular, he said there was a finding contained in one sentence that troubled him. He asked if the Appellant knew which sentence he was referring to. Fred immediately stood up without hesitation and with great confidence read out a sentence buried in the Transcript. I think the Judge was taken aback at the speed in which Fred had answered. He asked the Prosecutor for his comments.
The lawyer smiled at Fred, turned to the Judge and said he would bow to Mr. Campitelli’s keen insight into the case. Fred had won again but this time he had won before the hearing was 15 minutes old.
I will sorely miss Fred and all the exciting legal adventures we shared.
Marvin
The Cottage that created many memories...
Recently sold, this was the cottage that Fred created many memories for family and friends.