Obituary of Marcello Gabriele Masciantonio
Those wishing to joing the live stream of the Funeral Mass, please CLICK HERE.
Masciantonio, Marcello Gabriele
October 28, 1992 – December 17, 2021
With saddened and grieving hearts, we announce the sudden and tragic passing of Marcello Gabriele Masciantonio in Montreal on Friday, December 17, 2021. Missed dearly by his father Angelo and his adoring mother Anna (Gbyl) (June 2021) who is now reunited with him in Heaven. Cherished and adored big brother to Magdalena, loving boyfriend of Aneta Surmanski, and big daddy to his cat Viggo. Predeceased by his loving grandparents Erminio (2020) and Filomena (2010) Masciantonio of London, Bernard Gbyl (1993) and Danuta Gbyl (Kepinska) (2019) of Poland. Loved nephew of Sergio and Lorella Masciantonio of London and Marilena and Giuseppe Moschetta of Oakville. Tall and strong big cousin to Cristina and Evan Masciantonio and Giulia and Gabriele Moschetta. Deeply missed by Aneta’s family Krzysztof and Agnieszka Surmanski and brothers Mariusz and Michał, all of Brantford. Missed by Domenic and Asuncion D’Alessandro of Oakville who provided shelter and familial friendship during Marcello’s first year away from home, working in Toronto. Close friend to Tom Eldik of London with whom he completed the 815km Camino to Santiago de Compostela in October 2017. Also missed by his great aunts, uncles, and cousins in Canada, Poland, and Italy and his many friends and coworkers in Canada, US, and Europe. Marcello attended Catholic Central High School in London and played on several sports teams as well as eagerly participated in their yearly school trips and exchanges to France, Switzerland, and Italy. Marcello went on to study at Western and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science and then furthered his studies with a Masters of Physiology and Pharmacology. He then jumped into the working world and was excited to begin at Antibody in Toronto in his chosen field of study. He had recently taken on a new role as Senior Medical Advisor for the Ontario region with bMod, headquartered in Montreal. Marcello and Aneta were inseparable since they met eight years ago in their undergrad, and went on to travel, do everything, and live happily together in Toronto. Marcello loved to travel and had made many trips across Canada and US as part of his work or just for vacation, as well as the sunny beaches in the Caribbean and trips with friends to Northern and Eastern Europe.
Visitors are welcome to John T. Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo Street, on Tuesday, December 28 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm and 6:00 to 9:00 pm. (1/2 hour increments). Prayers at 8:30 pm. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a limited number of people are allowed to attend each visitation period. Please register with your first/last name, telephone number and your preferred time to donohue@donohuefuneralhome.ca. A private Funeral Mass will be held at St. Peters Cathedral Basilica on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 10:00 am. Those who wish to view the live stream of the Funeral Mass may do so by CLICKING HERE. Interment to follow at St Peter’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Polar Bears International (Canada) Inc., Canadian Sea Turtle Network Inc., or ORCA.
To view the gofundme created for Marcello please CLICK HERE
You may donate to Polar Bears International (Canda) Inc. by CLICKING HERE
You may donate to Canadian Sea Turtle Network Inc. by CLICKING HERE
You may donate to the ORCA by CLICKING HERE
For those who were unable to join us at St. Peter's Cemetery, you may read Aneta's beautiful eulogy below.
Thank you all for being here today – either in person or in spirit – to celebrate the beautiful and precious life of Marcello Gabriele Masciantonio. Just like the eulogy Marcello wrote for his mom, Ania, I would like to reflect on Marcello’s life from three different perspectives – Marcello the man, Marcello the family man, and lastly, Marcello my soulmate.
Marcello was a vibrant and optimistic individual who always lived life to the fullest. In some way I always pictured him as a golden retriever because he was just so happy and excited about life. He was born here in London, Ontario and made friends with everyone that he met. He lived with his mom Ania, his dad Angelo and his younger sister Magdalena. I cannot name a single person who disliked Marcello and if you did then there is probably something wrong with you. He grew up in London, where he went to CCH and had many friends. To this day, he still kept in contact with many of his high school friends. Marcello also attended Polish and Italian schools on the weekend, sometimes against his own will. Marcello later attended Western University where he received his Bachelors of Science degree, and later, his Masters of Physiology and Pharmacology. He was such an ambitious man. He wrote and published several papers, one of which Marcello and I wrote and published together. He won numerous awards at conferences and his ambition and intelligence was seen by all.
Marcello enjoyed playing lots of video games, especially Pokemon Go, listening to ESPN, watching and playing sports, specifically basketball, attending concerts and going for his 10 km walks every single day. Marcello was always doing something, at every hour of the day. He encouraged everyone around him to do the same. He loved to see you doing something but he loved it even more if you were happy doing it.
Marcello loved travelling with his friends and his family and he was even fortunate enough to travel for work, which I was always jealous of. Marcello took every opportunity he could to travel. He travelled all over Europe, Canada, the States and South America. He got his travel bug from his mom, who always encouraged him and Magda to explore the world while they were young. She always said “you will learn more about others and yourselves through those adventures”.
Marcello was the most ambitious, hardworking and determined individual that I have ever met. He was so persistent with every goal and always gave 100% in everything that he set his mind to do. Even during any hardship, he always came out on top. When Marcello’s mom passed away 6 months ago, he was so devastated and heartbroken. He was very close to his mom and spoke with her nearly every single day. Even though he never fully healed, he still continued to push forward. The light inside him never went away and will never go away.
Marcello didn’t have a single negative bone in his body. He was a sparkly unicorn. I always thought to myself “how can he be so happy all the time?” When there was a problem, he would work out a solution. He never complained because he said that complaining doesn’t accomplish anything. If you want something to change, you need to be that change.
In his mom’s eulogy, Marcello wrote “We are so used to measuring life by the number of years we live, but I am starting to think that it may make more sense to measure life as a percentage. I hope that I am fortunate enough to have 100% beside my life score when my time comes.” Marcello lived with us for a beautiful and vibrant but short 29 years. Much too short. In those 29 years he has accomplished more, seen more and loved more than the average 100 year old has accomplished, seen or loved. He always lived life as though it was his last. Marcello didn’t have 100% beside his life score – he had a million percent.
Marcello was a family man. He always put family first. He loved his mom, his sister, his dad and their 3 cats – Viggo, Milos and Fabio. He provided the best emotional and physical support. He was a dedicated chauffeur for his mom and his sister. I remember him waking up at ungodly hours of the night to go pick up his family from the airport after a vacation. Marcello would always drive down to London to take care of the cats when his family was away. The way I have seen him care for his family and his cats really made me happy. It made me excited to start a family with him because I always knew that we would be in good hands.
Marcello was a strong force in everyone’s decisions. He just knew exactly what to do. I will always remember the phone calls he took from his sister, where he would guide her and advise her on what next steps she needs to take for school, and how. I will always remember the conversations Marcello had with me when I was unhappy with areas in my life. He helped me through my Master’s program, when I wanted to quit. He helped me write my resume, when I was applying for jobs. He helped me negotiate my offers. He just helped everyone, whether they wanted the help or not. But he would always be kind before providing help by asking “Would you like some feedback?”.
People always say only the good die young. I never really understood what that meant. I always just thought people made up silly phrases to find a sense of comfort. As I have been reflecting over the last 13 days, I finally understand what it means now. Life is given to us with some purpose – a purpose we don’t and may not ever fully comprehend. I think God gives each and every single one of us time to figure out how to be a good person, time to decide how we want to spend our life, and time to learn how to make the lives of others better. I think God shortens the lives of those who have fulfilled the dreams of being a good person, those who have lived life to the absolute fullest and those who made a huge impact on the lives of others. For those of us that are still alive, I think our time will come when we reach those goals, just like Marcello has. God just doesn’t think we’ve reached those goals yet. These are going to be my goals from now on with the hopes of being reunited with Marcello someday.
Back in 2013, I got out of a weird relationship and I told myself that I would never date another boy again. To distract myself, I wanted to get involved with school and extracurricular activities. The first club that I joined was the Polish club. On September 25th, 2013, the Polish club held an event in the spoke at Western University. My friend Monica and I came to the spoke together and we sat down at the booth that the Polish Club executives reserved. I remember my friend Monica talking to this guy who sat in the corner and for some reason, I found myself getting very jealous. I don’t know why I got jealous because I’ve never seen this guy before in my entire life. The second Monica got up to get a refill on her drink, I swooped in and sat beside him. I introduce myself and he introduced himself as “Marcello Masciantonio”. I looked at him with confusion and I told him “that is not a polish name, why are you here?”. He said “I’m half Polish, half Italian”. We started talking and talking and then all of a sudden he blurted out “I am going to marry you one day”. I looked at him and I told him “yeah right, you wish”. He asked me to kiss him and I refused. I told him I don’t kiss random boys I meet at a bar. He asked for my phone number and I refused again. The second I pulled my eyes away from him, he took my phone and he called himself so that he would have my phone number. He texted me that night asking me if I got home safe. The next day he wanted to see me. I didn’t want to see him because I had to study but he remembered me telling him where I lived and he just showed up at my apartment and wouldn’t leave until I let him in. He knew what he wanted and he wouldn’t stop until he got it. I will never forget that determination.
Approaching our first Valentine’s day together, I told Marcello that I wanted a heart locket. He took my words as they were and got me this anatomical heart locket. I was confused why he got me an anatomical heart necklace and he said that since I wanted to become a doctor, that I should have a real heart. In the locket he left me a note that read “September 26th, 2013 I will marry this girl one day”. He told me went home the night after we met and he wrote that on a piece of paper. I still have his note to this day.
Marcello was such a hopeless romantic. He took me on dates, he cooked for me, he helped me clean and study. He inspired me to travel. He was so patient with me when I was a handful. He was so calm when I was erratic. He was so compassionate when I was hurting.
We spoke every single day for 8.5 years. He wrote me two poems, one of which I will read now. (Peom was read aloud)
Our life was a movie and he was the main character. He probably loves all of the attention he is getting right now. I always asked him if he would still love me when I was old and grey. He said of course. Then I asked him “aren’t you going to ask me if I will still love you when your old and grey?”. He said “no, because I am going to be young and beautiful forever”.
Marcello always made fun of me for copying him in every thing that he did. Whether it was starting his masters, moving Toronto, working in the pharmaceutical advertising space or deciding on which dishes to eat whenever we went out to eat, I was always copying him and following in his footsteps. So to continue on the tradition, I would like to share a few messages with you, on his behalf, the same way that Marcello did at his mom’s funeral.
To Marcello’s friends, Magda’s friends and my friends – thank you for being a part of our lives, for supporting us, for sharing beautiful experiences and for loving us. We will need your support now more than ever so please don’t stop reaching out to us.
To Assaad and Laure Eldik – thank you for treating Marcello and me like your own children. I will never forget you telling me that I was like your second daughter and that Marcello was your third son. Marcello always told me how excited he was to go visit you guys and to eat your food. Marcello loves your family so much and I thank you for all that you have done for him.
Tom and Tommy – thank you for being Marcello’s best friends and for helping him live his best life. Marcello always enjoyed engaging in your political rants and talking about stocks and crypto. You have both created such a wonderful friendship with him, one that will never be forgotten.
To Domenic, and Asuncion – thank you for opening up your home to Marcello when he got his first job at Antibody. He absolutely loved living with you in Oakville. Thank you for helping him navigate through that chapter in his life and for being there for him when his mom passed away. Thank you for also opening up your doors to me whenever I came to visit him. We admire and look up to you both.
To John Hatch & all of Marcello’s friends from tennis – thank you for keeping Marcello entertained all of these years. Even though he loved tennis, I think he loved the friendships he made with you even more.
To Alison & Mackenzie – thank you for always allowing Marcello to come over to hangout with you. I remember how excited he got when your parents bought the cottage in Grand Bend and how fortunate we were to come up and enjoy it with you. The footprints in the sand may fade away but all of those wonderful memories at the beach will last forever.
To Marcello’s coworkers from Antibody and bMod – thank you for making Marcello’s work life so fun and enjoyable for him. He always talked about the wonderful people he worked with and it made me so happy to see him like this.
To the rest of Marcello’s family here in Canada, Poland and Italy – thank you for all that you have done for Marcello over his lifetime. Your love and support helped him become the remarkable person he grew up to be.
To my parents and my family – dziejuke wam ze wy kochaliscie Marcello jak on by byl twojim synem. On zawsze sie pytal o was i bardzo lubial rozmawiac z wami.
To Marilena, Giuseppe, Giulia, Gabriele – thank you for being so wonderful and opening up your arms when Marcello needed you. Thank you for allowing us to visit you in Oakville and for helping Marcello when his mom passed. He always loved coming over because it was such a nice and cheerful break from reality.
To Viggo and Milos (the cats) – Marcello loves you both so much. You are both his pride and joy. He constantly talks about you and shows me videos of you with your catch of the day, sometimes against my own will.
To Angelo – I am sorry you lost your son. I can imagine how difficult it is for you to be dealing with this. You were the first person to hold him after he was born. Thank you for raising such a beautiful man. Marcello admired and cared about you a lot. I hope that you can reflect on all of the happy memories you created with him. Please continue to take care of Magda. She is going to need you now more than ever. Please know that I will also be here to help support you in any way that you need.
To Magda – I am sorry you lost your brother. Marcello is so proud of you and he will always continue to be proud of you. He always spoke so highly of you and bragged about all of your accomplishments. He loved coming home to your cooking. Every decision that he made, he always made sure to keep you and the boys in mind. Marcello and your mom will always be with you and they will continuously guide you through life and protect you. You are such a strong and vibrant young woman, and I know you will do amazing things in your life. I promise to always be here for you because after all, you are my sister as well.
To Ania – I know you are here in our hearts today but I wanted to thank you for raising such a wonderful boy. His strength, compassion, patience, ambition, resilience and love all came from you. I know you will continue to teach him valuable lessons in heaven.
To Marcello – thank you for helping me become the woman I am today. I would not be where I am now without you. You are my best friend, my soulmate, my confidant, my chauffeur, and my better half. Thank you for teaching me to see the best in people and to think positively. Thank you for being the light in my life when all I could see was darkness. Thank you for opening up my horizons to travel, food and adventure. I would not have travelled as much if it weren’t for you. You made me see life in a brand new way and I will never forget how you made me feel. You made me feel safe, loved, nurtured, happy, and excited. You always told me that I was precious cargo. You never fought back when we were in arguments. You were so excited for me when I took chances. I remember how proud you were of me when I got my new job. You called me don pagador. Please continue to love, support and take care of me because I need to be babied. Please continue to help me navigate the remaining days I have left on this earth because I wont be able to do it without you. I promise you that I will take care of your sister because she is my sister as well. I promise to help her as she continues her academic career and eventually enters the real world.
I am so fortunate to have had such an amazing, loving and memorable relationship with Marcello. The memories I have with him are enough to last a lifetime. The relationship and memories that we created is more than most people can dream of. I promise to always keep you on my mind, in my heart and in my soul. We are only separated for a short little while – a long distance relationship if you will. We will be back together again one day and I promise you that. I will never forget you. You are my one and only. I love you so much Marcello. I can’t wait to see you soon. Please say hi to your mom, babcia, Fabio, Kobe and Gianna for me.
