Anthony "Rocky" Fabrizio

Anthony "Rocky" Fabrizio, 75, of Tampa, Fla., entered into eternal rest on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Melech Hospice House, Temple Terrace, Fla., surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Pittston, Pa., on Aug. 31, 1948, he was the son of the late Anthony and Josephine Chiumento Fabrizio. Anthony was a graduate of Pittston High School, served in the National Guard, and had worked at Cleveland Brothers as a heavy machinery mechanic for many years before retiring.

Anthony Fabrizio, known far and wide as "Rocky," has revved his last engine and mowed his final lawn. With a heavy heart and a spark plug of laughter, we bid farewell to a man whose mechanical prowess was matched only by his love for all things that roar and purr.

Born with a wrench in one hand and a lawnmower manual in the other, Rocky's destiny was clear from the start. He didn't just fix machines; he breathed life into them, coaxing sputtering engines back to life with a flick of his wrist and a twinkle in his eye. Rocky's backyard was a haven of oily rags, greasy tools and the sweet scent of gasoline — a place where lawnmowers came to be reborn and where broken-down tractors found solace. His skill was legendary, his patience unyielding and his vocabulary colorful enough to make a sailor blush.

But Rocky was more than just a grease-stained maestro of machinery; he was a loving husband, a father, a Papa, a great friend, a mentor and a beacon of light in a world full of mechanical maladies. His jokes were as well-oiled as his socket wrenches, and his laughter could be heard echoing through the workshop like the rumble of a finely tuned engine.

Rocky is survived by his daughter, Lauren, and her loving husband, William Burczyk, Tampa, Fla.; son, Anthony Fabrizio, Florida; grandchildren: Domanick Fabrizio, and his "boys" whom he loved so dearly: Lincoln and Phoenix Burczyk; brother-in-law, Brian Judge and his wife, Annette, Wyoming, Pa.; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Mary Beth Fabrizio; sister, Lucille Biduck; brother, Carmen Fabrizio; sister, Mary Jo Hetro; and brothers-in-law: Leonard Hetro, Anthony Biduck and Patrick F. Judge.

Though he may have left us for that great junkyard in the sky, Rocky's legacy will live on in the purr of every lawnmower he ever fixed and the roar of every engine he ever brought back from the brink. So let us raise our wrenches high and salute the man who made the world a little bit louder, a little bit greasier and a whole lot more fun.

Rest in peace, Rocky. May your workshop in the afterlife be filled with an endless supply of broken lawnmowers and eternal sunshine.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Private services will be held in memory and honor of Anthony.