Nicodemo-Antonio "Nic" Barillaro

With heavy hearts, the Barillaro family wishes to announce the passing of a beloved and loving husband, father, and grandfather (Pappu). Nicodemo-Antonio Barillaro "Nic" was born on January 19, 1942, in Mammola, Reggio Calabria, Italy. He died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on September 25, 2025, at the age of 83. He married his childhood sweetheart, Paola Di Tommaso, and together they had four loving children: Filippo, Gino (Sarah), Alan (Nancy), and Laura (Dave); and ten cherished grandchildren: Malina, Nico, Sofie, Ruby, Cora, Mela, Sam, Theo, Marcello, and Arlo. Nic had many varied interests in his pursuit of la bella vita. He was contemplative and passionate in his approach to life, inspiring in the wisdom he shared, and remarkably disciplined until his last breath. While he encouraged his children to forge their own path, he remained their touchstone for everything. His greatest achievement, if asked, was the life he built with his wife of 56 years, Paola, whom he loved and revered immeasurably. As a young man, Nic studied music and played the accordion. Through the years, he filled his home with books and the sounds of music on vinyl, from Puccini to Lightfoot, and often enjoyed listening to opera on Sundays. He loved running, swimming, reading, painting, Tai chi, writing, kayaking, and skiing. He enjoyed an espresso corto with half a cannolo to share, because one was too rich. Nic was a high school teacher of history, politics, and law. Outside the classroom, through executive positions and activism, he strove to uplift and preserve the Italian community within the Canada he loved. His efforts contributed to the formation of Club Italia, an Italian Language School and the Dante Alighieri Society in the Niagara Region. With other delegates across Canada, he co-founded the National Congress of Italian Canadians, which most notably organized national relief efforts in response to the1976 Friuli earthquake. He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal for his contributions. Nic began running along the Niagara Parkway in Chippawa and went on to complete many marathons, including Boston in 1984. He continued to run until the age of 80, often saying it was the best way to explore a new place. He put the "act" in active and could tire out his grandchildren with long canoe rides or walks across the city. He pilgrimaged the Camino di Santiago in Spain, the Aspromonte in Calabria, and completed the Bruce Trail end to end at the age of 80 to raise money for Sunnybrook Hospital. Cottage life was both a passion and refuge for Nic and he was grateful to enjoy 37 years at his cabin and log home on Catchacoma Lake with his family. He retained an unwavering appetite for life and new experiences, living in Hong Kong for three years teaching and travelling the globe, but not quite mastering Cantonese as he had hoped. To his children and grandchildren, he was their bellwether. To Paola, he will always be the boy wearing the yellow sweater in the green Volkswagen. The family wishes to thank the attentive and professional staff at the Odette Cancer Centre for their excellent care, especially Dr. Emmenegger, Nurse Bandali and her team. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Odette Cancer Centre, The Heart and Stroke Foundation, or Crohn's and Colitis Canada would be appreciated by the family. A Celebration of Life will take place in November at the Columbus Centre in Toronto.