Anthony Aloysius Martello

Tony Martello was born in Missoula, Montana in January of 1930. He was one of 12 children born to Carminella and Benedetto Martello. He passed away peacefully on Sept 5, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents and 10 siblings. He is survived by his sister, Philomena, his nephew Adam, his sister-in-law, Valrie, and other family members. He is also survived and lovingly remembered by a large community of friends and loved ones whose lives were enriched by the sheer joy of his presence. To know Tony was to love him and we all did. He was the soul of generosity and kindness with everyone and will be deeply missed.

Tony had a truly wonderful life that took him all over the country and, in later years to Europe. He served in the U.S. Navy, had a career as an elementary school teacher for 30 years, then worked as the purchaser for Highline Community College before retiring at age 57. His retirement years were some of the happiest of his life allowing him to pursue his passion for the arts, most especially theatre. Tony was an avid theatre patron and held season tickets to several theatres in Seattle. His favorite was Empty Space Theatre, where he was a board member and longtime volunteer. He also traveled frequently to New York, San Francisco, and Portland to see plays, particularly if he knew someone in the cast. He enjoyed visual art as well and volunteered for Seattle Art Museum, and visited other galleries, museums and special exhibits both locally and as part of his travels.

In addition to the arts, Tony was a volunteer for several non profit organizations, especially NW AIDS Foundation, Chicken Soup Brigade, and the STEP program. Throughout the years he was recognized with many awards for his service and dedication. He was, simply, the best.

There will be a celebration of Tony's life on Tuesday, Oct 10, at 3pm, at Aljoya Thornton Place, 450 NE 100th St in Seattle. Flowers may be sent to the above address in Tony's memory. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to BAT Theatre, PO Box 48121, Burien, WA 98148 or go to battheatre.org and click on support.