Anthony “Tony” Manto, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away on Aug. 23 at the age of 83. Tony died of Alzheimer’s at home surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his loving wife, Claire, their three children, Gina (Mike Turner), Anthony (Amie), and Chrissy (Phil René); and five grandchildren: Thomas, Jolene, Matthew, Louis, and Rémi; and his brother, Joe (Linda). He was predeceased by his older brother, Peter.
Born in New York to Peter and Anna Manto, he grew up in Astoria, Queens, and graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School and Queens College. Tony was endlessly curious about science and history, with a particular interest in astronomy, paleontology, military history, and Egyptology.
Tony served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967 (nine months in Vietnam) as an engineer in the 610th Transportation Company.
He met Claire when they woke up on the same couch after a raucous party in the Hamptons. Other party-goers were burning all of the furniture, but their couch remained intact. He invited Claire for breakfast early that morning. They were married in 1972 and honeymooned in France and Italy.
After moving to Rye in 1976, they quickly became immersed in the community. Tony loved hearing the Dragon Coaster and fireworks on summer nights, taking walks on the beach, and fishing from his boat on the sound.
He was a fixture on Adelaide Street, and with Claire, hosted blizzard parties in the winter and block parties in the summer, where he’d work the piñata, always pulling it up at the last moment when an unsuspecting child was about to make contact. Tony loved a party and was always up for dancing at weddings. When “Shout” by The Isley Brothers came on, the crowd would make room for Tony, who would drop to the floor, lay on his back, and wave his arms and legs in the air.
He coached his children’s many softball and soccer teams throughout their time in school. And when not coaching, he was a loud supporter from the stands. He continued this tradition at his adult children’s beer league soccer games around the five boroughs and followed his daughter’s rugby team to New Zealand.
He and Claire volunteered in the kitchen at Meals on Main, delivered food to people in their homes during the pandemic, served Thanksgiving dinner at POTS, and unloaded boxes for Helping Hands.
Tony was proud of his long career at Con Edison, which took him from the manholes of New York to computer programming. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of Con Edison and was known to point out its substations around the city.
After retiring, Tony and Claire traveled extensively, seeing the Great Wall of China, the pyramids of Egypt, going on safari in South Africa, and exploring the Great Barrier Reef. They went to Oktoberfest in Munich and returned to Italy several times, including one special family trip to the Italian and Sicilian towns where his mother’s family and father were from.
Tony was devoted to his family. He remained close with his younger brother, Joe, until the end of his life. He accommodated family and friends in every way possible. He used his Explorer to move his children between many apartments, picked people up from the airport, and tackled every construction and carpentry project his beloved home on Adelaide Street required.
When he found something funny, he’d roar with laughter until he cried, especially in the telling and retelling of family lore with his brothers. He infamously howled when watching “The Big Lebowski” on an airplane — drawing the concerned attention of a flight attendant.
Thanks to Kwabena (Kobby), Tony’s home healthcare aide and guardian angel, it was possible for him to stay at home until the very end.
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at the Church of the Resurrection. The family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Graham Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System (Montrose).
