Antonio Verrino

Antonio Verrino of Farmington Hills was born March 1, 1940 in Zagarise, Calabria, Italy to Domenico Verrino and Matilde Amelio. He died February 19, 2023 at the age of 82.
Mr. Verrino is the beloved husband of 51 years to Iolanda. Loving father of Maddie (David) Roman, Anthony (Nevada) Verrino and Cristina Verrino. Dear grandfather of Miranda, Ariana, Gabriel, Vita and the late Anthony John. Brother of Luigi (Rita) Verrino, Rosetta (the late Pancrazio Gallelli) Verrino and Salvatore (Anna) Verrino. Brother in law of Maria Guerra and the late Lisa Guerra. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Antonio and Iolanda came from a very small town in Italy called Zagarise. Not long ago, there was a news article stating that Zagarise had the cleanest air in Europe and Antonio said that's because there's nothing there! It's an all natural, small 13th century town. The families had been there together for hundreds of years.
Antonio started working in his dad's carpenter shop when he could start walking. He loved to tell stories of working with his dad, Domenico. He loved carpentry and he was good at it. He was a skilled and hard worker.
He loved to tell stories of his black Raven that he kept at the carpenter shop. He named the bird Mosco, and he fed him meat from the butcher shop. Ravens are known to give gifts of thanks when a person takes care of them, and this bird used to take shiny things from around Zagarise and "gift" them to Antonio. So when a necklace or ring or bracelet was missing, people would know to check with Antonio and Mosco in the carpenter shop before they worried it was really lost.
In Zagarise, children had tasks to do. One of his young jobs was to take the family goat from the barn to a grazing pasture for the day. Before bringing the goat home, he would keep his eyes out for a fig tree with ripe fruit. He would make a cone with a leaf, add ripe fruit, milk the goat, and make yogurt. He would laugh when he told this story, because his mom and dad complained that the goat wasn't a great milk producer, but really he was using some to make his own yogurt every day.
Antonio, with his older brothers and sister, vacationed at the beach and the mountains and played practical jokes on each other, like dumping water from balconies onto friends and siblings below.
Antonio left Zagarise at 16 to go to work in Bolzano, Italy. At that time, he knew carpentry well and wanted to start earning money for himself and his family. With his money, he bought a FIAT Topolino and was known for being generous and sharing rides and money with his friends who were in school. Whenever he returned home to Italy, those friends who became Doctors and lawyers and engineers returned the favor by picking him up from the airport or taking him out to eat.
He served in the Italian Army, started boxing there. He still jumproped at 82!
In 1970, Antonio came to Canada to work at a construction company. Shortly after, he and Iolanda got married in Redford, MI and raised Maddie, Anthony and Cristina. Antonio worked as a carpenter and started a home building business with Iolanda to put their kids through school.
Antonio adored his children and grandchildren. He taught his kids how to play soccer, ride bikes, and hunt for mushrooms. Everybody has a story about getting lost in the woods with Antonio!
He loved anything his kids or grandkids were involved in. He watched Anthony play weekly soccer games for over 40 years. He loved Miranda and Ariana's dance competitions and musicals, Cristina's Yoga, Vita's Tennis and Horseback Riding and Gabe's Music concerts and marching band.
He also loved his garden, spending time outdoors and making cheese, prosciutto, and sopressata.
We were so blessed to have such a generous, kind, and loving man in our lives and he will be dearly missed.
Funeral mass will take place at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 23815 Power Rd. Farmington, Saturday 10 AM (In State 9:30 AM). Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield. Friends may visit Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 340 North Pontiac Trail, Walled Lake (3 Blks. S. of Maple Rd.) Friday, 3-8pm. Memorials to CFC International (www. cfcsyndrome.org) appreciated.