Obituary of Antonio Manzo

Antonio “Tony” Manzo, 98, of North Liberty, Iowa, passed away peacefully on October 21, surrounded by family and supportive aids. He remained comfortably at home at Keystone Place at Forevergreen, under the compassionate care of devoted staff, Brightstar caregivers, and Iowa City Hospice. His beloved wife of 75 years, Pat, predeceased him in June 2023.

A visitation will be held at 9 am followed by a funeral mass at 10 am on Saturday, November 9 at St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church in Kendal Park, NJ. A graveside memorial service and interment will follow at Holy Cross Burial Park in Jamesburg, New Jersey. 

Tony was born January 25, 1926, in Duronia, Italy, the son of Angelo Michele and Giuseppa (Grieco) Manzo. He was preceded in death by his five siblings Marianicola Izzi, Carmela Manzo, Gino Manzo, Mary D’Alessandro, and Jenny Kardell.

It was during Tony’s childhood in this small medieval mountaintop village in central Italy that he met Pat. He endured the hardships of life in Italy before emigrating to the United States at the age of 14 on the last ship from Naples in 1940 prior to the outbreak of World War II. 

A few short years later, Tony honorably served his new country as an artilleryman in the United States Army despite his limited English skills. He fought alongside the Marines on Saipan, sailed with the Navy during the island-hopping campaign, and later fought in the Battle of Okinawa. Following the Japanese surrender in 1945, Tony joined the occupying forces on mainland Japan and was discharged honorably from the U.S. Army. Though he rarely shared his memories of the war, his stories were captivating, humbling, and humorous at times. While in transit between battles when times were hard and morale low, he became famous on his ships for teaching the galley cooks the “proper” way (i.e. the Italian way) to bake bread because, as he routinely emphasized, “they didn’t understand how to make good bread!” Decades later, as one of the last surviving veterans of World War II, he was flown to Washington, D.C. by the Honor Flight organization where he was shown the recognition and gratitude he deserved at the national memorials.

Following the war, Tony returned to the docks of New York City in April of 1947 to greet Pat upon her ship’s arrival, and they married the following year. Tony and Pat settled in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey where they raised a family and pursued their own American dream. Tony worked multiple jobs throughout his early years, often more than one at a time, before finding a long-term position with Wonder Bread. As a baker by trade, he was passionate about baking bread at home for family and friends where he drew on old Italian recipes and techniques and earned a life-long reputation as an outstanding bread maker.

After working their entire lives since childhood, including running their own pizza shop for six years to supplement their regular income, Tony and Pat retired to Ocala, Florida in 1990. It was in retirement that they both were able to explore new hobbies, playing Skipbo, shuffleboard, and horseshoes and learning to dance. It was their shared love of ballroom dancing that ignited their greatest passion, kept them physically active, and raised their spirits. Always connected to their Italian roots, the couple was known for their performance of the Tarantella, an upbeat traditional Italian folk dance, which delighted audiences at various events and venues.

In retirement, the couple made a handful of trips back to Italy and their scenic hometown. On a few of those trips, their children and a few of their grandchildren were able to visit the old country and recount a remarkable journey that began a world and a lifetime away. They also spent their active retirement years traveling within the States and other places abroad. However, their most memorable trips were family reunion cruise vacations that grew over time to include four generations.

As Tony and Pat entered their nineties in 2016, it became apparent that they wanted to move to the Iowa City area to be closer to family and benefit from the community’s senior living options and exceptional healthcare. Their time in independent living at Keystone Place at Forevergreen, enriched by the friendships they formed and the staff who embraced them like family, was a tremendous blessing in this chapter of their lives.

When Tony was in the room, there were no strangers. He considered everyone a friend and cherished their acquaintance. He lived in the moment and possessed an exceptional spirit of life with an Italian accent that was engaging and a smile that was welcoming. He worked hard in his younger years and then enjoyed the fruits of his labor with 33 years of a very active lifestyle in retirement. Tony drew great pleasure, and often went to extreme lengths, in making others laugh. He was an avid dancer who could never stay seated when hearing the beat of a song if a willing dance partner was nearby. Tony was also a fierce competitor, whether at a game of Skipbo, cornhole, shuffleboard, or horseshoes, he was in it to win it. He was the Florida shuffleboard champion in his senior classification, competed at the national 2005 Senior Olympic Games, and a repeat winner of the Sexiest Man Competition aboard family cruises. But his greatest joy was being a loving Dad and Pop to his children and their spouses, and Pop-Pop to his 10 grandchildren and their spouses, and his 20 great-grandchildren.

Those left to honor his memory include his daughter Gloria (Gregory C.) Listner of Kendall Park, NJ, son Anthony (Patricia) Manzo of Greeneville, TN, daughter Silvia (Donald) Guckert of Coralville, IA, sister-in-law Carolina “Carol” (Tony) Trezza of Lyndhurst, NJ, grandchildren Gregory E. (Kristin) Listner, Michael (Raquel) Listner, Jeffrey Listner, Chad (Chelsea) Listner, Melanie (Johnathan) Oldacre, Michael (Keenan) Manzo, Brian (Brittnay) Manzo, Brett Manzo, Kristen (Matthew) Sullivan, Katie (Bradford) Hepfer; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Tony’s family would like to thank the residents and staff at Keystone Place at Forevergreen, Iowa City Hospice, the Brightstar caregivers, and the Veterans Hospital for their comforting care and support during Tony’s final months. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Iowa City Hospice or Disabled American Veterans in memory of Antonio Manzo.