Aaron D. Guarino

The Erie community and the Academy Class of 1991 lost a legend when Aaron "Guido" Guarino died on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 8:30 am after a long, hard-fought battle with complications of diabetes and kidney failure. He left this world exactly the way he lived in it: on his own terms, loud enough for the back row to hear, and utterly, unmistakably Guido.

The man

Guido was unapologetically Guido-larger than life, running at about 150% color, volume, and vibrance, and that was on a quiet day. He had a memory like a steel trap and could spin a yarn so vivid and detailed that listeners were never sure whether to accept it as gospel truth or call complete bullshit.

He could turn a five-minute story into a feature-length blockbuster, with more plot twists than anything Hollywood could dream up, and he delivered every tale several decibels louder than was strictly necessary. His booming voice, expressive face, and that famous glint in his eye made even the most ordinary moments feel like an event.

The fight

Over the years, diabetes took its pound of flesh, one piece at a time-first an ankle and foot, then everything below the knee, then his eyesight. Hospitals became a second home as he endured surgery after surgery, collecting specialists the way other people collect frequent-flyer miles.

In the last decade, it seemed there wasn't a doctor in Erie who didn't want to cut into him for one reason or another, and still he met it all with stubborn humor and a sharp tongue. Dialysis eventually turned life into a brutal cycle of treatment and exhaustion, living just to make the next appointment and then spending days too wiped out to climb out of bed.

His choice

When the treatments offered only more time but not more living, Guido made the decision to end dialysis, one of the few choices he felt the disease hadn't already made for him. He wanted to go out while he could still choose, before he was trapped in a body that had no options left.

He faced that choice the same way he faced everything else: clear-eyed, stubborn, and with his own brand of rough-edged grace. He understood that there are many things a man cannot control, but this one, he could-and he took it.

His name

In the end, what mattered most to Guido was simple: to be remembered as a good man and a fair man, someone who tried to leave things just a little better than he found them. He knew that when everything else is stripped away, all you truly have left is your name, and he guarded his with pride.

For those who loved him, that name will always mean loyalty, laughter, and stories that probably needed fact-checking but never, ever needed improving. And for anyone still harboring ill will, you already know what he'd say-eyes narrowed, face twisted into an over-the-top scowl, voice booming across the room: you can "go straight to hell!"

Farewell, Guido

Aaron "Guido" Guarino leaves behind family, friends, caregivers, classmates, and an entire community who will be telling his stories for years, each one a little louder and a little brighter in his honor. He may be gone, but the legend of Guido will keep holding court in Erie as long as there is someone around to say, "You're not going to believe this, but... " and start the story all over again.

Friends may call at the Dusckas Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., 2607 Buffalo Rd., on Sunday, January 4th, from 1 to 3 pm and 5 pm until the time of the Funeral Service there at 7 pm. A private interment will be held. Memorial contributions may be made to Guido's family through the funeral home or to the Veteran's Miracle Center, 1573 West 39th Street, Erie, PA 16509. Condolences may be sent to www.dusckasfuneralhomes.com.