Antonio Joseph Boffa Sr.

1930 - 2019

Antonio Joseph Boffa, Sr.
May 7, 1930 - December 21, 2019
Middletown, NY
In the early hours of the morning on Saturday, December 21, 2019, Antonio Joseph Boffa, Sr, family patriarch, business owner, entrepreneur, and community leader, died unexpectedly at Orange Regional Medical Center, surrounded by his family.. He was 89.
The son of Guiseppina Milano Boffa and Potito Boffa, he was born on May 7, 1930 in Santagnello, Italy. Pa was a great man who came to this country as a teenager, with nothing and built a great business and even greater family. He was an old-school, hard-working man. He married Antionette Monaco on December 1, 1949, and they shared 63 years of marriage together until her death on December 30, 2012.
"Tony" had an immeasurable impact on his family, community and everyone who was blessed to come into his presence. His hard work and determination provided his family with a wonderful life and a well-designed business that they will carry on with the same spirit and dedication he taught them. Tony was a lifetime member and patron of the Middletown YMCA, where he swam every day, greeting his fellow members with his warm smile. In 1962, Tony was the first person to swim 50 miles in the YMCA pool. Fifty years later, he was the first to swim in the newly constructed pool. His physical fitness did not match his chronological age, and so his untimely death has been devastating for both his family and friends. He was at the helm of his family restaurant since its inception and created a retail market for his famous sauce from his family recipe. Tony was also a man of great faith and was a member of St. Joseph's Church in Middletown.
A statement from his family reads, "Pa, you have taught us so much about hard work, dedication and most of all family. You will be greatly missed, by your family, your community and in the kitchen, but we know you and Nana are sitting on a beach somewhere watching over all of us".
Tony is survived by his loving family; his three children, daughter, Donna Mabee and her husband, Edward, and his sons, Antonio J. Boffa, Jr. and his wife, Ann, and Mario A. Boffa and his wife, Michele and four grandchildren, Nannette Meurer and her husband, Christopher, Eric and his wife, Kathleen, Thomas and his wife, Jennifer and Nicholas and his wife Maryam. He also leaves his brother, Mario Boffa of Port Orange, FL and his cherished great-grandchildren, Taylor, Victoria and Ezra and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation is from 2 to 6 pm on Friday, December 27, 2019 at Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY 10940. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at St. Joseph's Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Entombment will follow in the family mausoleum in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Middletown.
Memorial contributions in Tony's name may be made to the Middletown YMCA, 81 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY 10940.
Arrangements are under the direction of Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc. www.applebee-mcphillips.com