Name: Wake for A. P. "Tony" Pirrone
Start: 2021-09-30T21:00:00.000Z
End: 2021-09-30T23:00:00.000Z
Location: Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home & Crematory - Bayside Chapel

Anthony "Tony" Paul Pirrone, age 92, of Harbor's Edge, Norfolk, passed away on September 21 of natural causes. He was a life-long Catholic.

Born in Washington, DC on June 9, 1929, at the beginning of the Great Depression, he was raised by hard-working Sicilian-American parents and was taught the value of goals and a good education. He was taught by a Jesuit faculty, earning high marks and excelled in school. After graduating from Georgetown University, Class of '51, he joined the Naval Reserves, Commissioned as an officer and began his navy career, attaining the rank of Commander. He used his proficiencies in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French successfully while an officer attached to NATO. He retired with 30 years of active duty service.

Tony married Marie-France, a French native, and together they had eight children. Tours of duty included Morocco, Chile, Spain, and Portugal. Our parents gave us the gift of travel, taking us on many trips to France, Spain, and Portugal. In retirement, our parents traveled multiple times to France visiting relatives. Tony had a love of blacksmithing, joining a local guild and making wrought iron works of art for his children. He loved European food and time with family, especially grandchildren. He was predeceased by Marie-France and an infant daughter, Martine Pirrone.

Left to cherish his memory are his fiancee Anna Cavallin, Anthony A (Patty) Pirrone and children Anthony Pirrone, Chris Pirrone and Victoria Pirrone, Genevieve (Kenny) Richter, Yann (Dale) Pirrone, Alain (Monika) Pirrone and children Nick Franck, Roxanne Hyatt, and Elizabeth Pirrone, Chantal (Bill) Sexton and sons Matt Sexton, Justin Sexton, and Will Sexton, Monique Hunnicutt and children Claire Hunnicutt, Martine Hunnicutt and Brigitte Hunnicutt, and Veronique (Scott) DeFusco, and children Andrew DeFusco and Gabrielle DeFusco and seven great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff at Harbor's Edge for their dedication to our dad. Special thanks to Nurses Monique and Evion and also to Nathan. They helped brighten his life in his twilight years. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

The wake will take place at the Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Bayside Chapel in Virginia Beach on Thursday, September 30 from 5 PM to 7 PM. The funeral mass will take place at Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church, Virginia Beach on Friday, October 1 at 11 AM. Burial at Arlington Cemetery will take place at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Rescue Squad of Virginia Beach or to Little Sisters of the Poor of Washington, D.C., Inc. 4200 Harewood Road, NE, Washington, D.C. 20017. Condolences may be offered to the family at:

www.hollomon-brown.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Virginian-Pilot on Sep. 26, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for A. Pirrone

Sponsored by the family.

7 Entries

María José López de Arenosa

February 18, 2023

Tony Pirrone became a good and close friend of my dad in the mid sixties in Madrid where they both attended a course st Spanish Navy War College. One of his daughters was born at that time and I met her many years later un Washington as our parents kept in contact for decades.
They both shared the same solid values of duty and honor and a deep Catholic faith.
I'm sure Tony gave a warm welcome to my dad into Heaven on February 25 2023 when he left us.
May they both rest in peace and enjoy together with their wives, Marie France and Araceli, the Glory of the Lord.

Lauren Finley

September 21, 2022

The first anniversary, particularly, is heavy on the heart. Thinking of your Dad and you all today, which, fittingly, is the United Nations International Day of Peace.

Vincent Nakovics

October 1, 2021

Very sorry to hear of his passing. He always had something interesting to talk about and it was great to have him at our ABGT meetings. He was one of those guys who make the Blacksmithing community so much fun to be a part of. We will all miss him.

Ken Schwarz

September 30, 2021

I met Tony many years ago when he came with Marie-France to visit our blacksmith shop here at Colonial Williamsburg. Tony shared his skill in technical translation, bringing the French writings of Viollet-le-Duc to English that I could understand. I traded him bags of blacksmith coal in return.

Tony was a member of what Tom Brokaw called America's greatest generation. I admire him for his hard work, his love for Marie-France, his intense focus on the things that he found interesting, his patriotic love for and dedication to his country, his love of literature and wordplay, and his sharp sense of humor. He was a gentleman in every regard. Although our visits were infrequent in the past few years as travel was limited, we did swap letters periodically.

I travelled to France several weeks ago and thought of the many stories that he shared with me about the ironwork in France. I had plans of sending a letter to share my stories with him. I missed my opportunity.

To all of his family- I am sorry for your loss, but he will live on in our memories- including mine. We have lost a good man, but are grateful for the time that we had with him.

Ken Schwarz
Blacksmith, master of the shop
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Mary Anne Myers

September 30, 2021

I wish to extend my condolences and prayers for Tony Pirrone, Chantel Sexton, and the Pirrone family. I will also be praying for your father. Sorry to hear that you have lost such a dear loved one.

Joe Gentile

September 28, 2021

Tony was a blacksmith friend and a member of Tidewater Blacksmith Guild. He was a talented smith and enjoyed performing demonstrations, he will be missed.

Charla and David Marcel

September 27, 2021

We would like to offer our sympathy for the loss of your father,Tony. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Peace

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