Posted on: Saturday, March 28th, 2020
Honoring Tony Calcia
It is with the heaviest of hearts – in fact it is with a broken heart – that I share with you that our beloved colleague and friend Tony Calcia passed away unexpectedly on March 27.
No one at our Y was more beloved than Tony. And that’s because no one at our Y loved more than Tony. He loved all of us. He loved our Y and he always would exclaim how much he loved the fact that together our Y was a force for good.
But in reality, no one was more a force for good than Tony. He was the kindest, most thoughtful, fun loving, generous and genuine person I have ever known. Always there for everyone whether offering an open ear to just listen, offering his sage counsel on virtually any topic or making you laugh by offering one of his legendary real life stories.
You always felt better after being in his presence.
Tony sure loved life and he showed us all how to live life to the fullest every day.
His life lessons, his love of music, his love of sharing a good story, his compassion and his passion will be part of me forever. Like many of you, I lost a loyal and trusted colleague and confidant. But most of all I lost a very dear friend. His legacy at our YMCA and in the Town of North Attleboro – two places he truly loved – are secure. And his powerful legacy will be a bright beacon for future generations.
This is going to be a very challenging time for all of us personally and professionally as we mourn Tony’s unexpected loss. I know we will be there to support each other in this difficult time…after all, it’s what Tony always did for us.
Please take time to reflect on and to celebrate how blessed we were to have Tony in our lives. And celebrate the incredible impact he had on our YMCA and those in our communities touched by his goodness and his passion.
Of all the things Tony loved, his love and devotion to his family was the center of his life. Let us all keep Tony and his family -and especially his beloved mom – in our thoughts and prayers.
We lost a true Hockomock Legend with Tony’s passing. And I know that today there is a band in heaven with a new lead singer and folks are already gathered around Tony laughing out loud as he recounts in this unique style some of his legendary life stories.
May God bless our colleague and friend. And I pray that your personal memories of Tony will provide you strength and comfort in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Ed Hurley
President, Hockomock Area YMCA
Obituary for Anthony “Tony” Calcia, click here. We have also shared the obituary below.
Anthony M. “Tony” Calcia
Anthony Maurice “Tony” Calcia, 64, of Cumberland, RI, passed away peacefully at his home on March 27, 2020. Tony was “a man of many facets, all turned on”.
Born on February 20, 1956 in Clinton, MA, he was the son of the late Tracy Calcia of Florida and Barbara Ivory (Smith) of North Attleboro, MA, and the late Robert Ivory.
He is survived by his brothers, Michael Ivory and Robert Ivory, Jr., and his sister, Kim Murray, all of North Attleboro, MA, and his sister Mellissa Pennellatore and her husband, Stephen, of Mansfield, MA. In addition, Tony is survived by his sister-in-law, Amy, of Norwood, MA, and his beloved 14 nieces and nephews and 12 great-nieces and nephews, who will miss him dearly. Tony was predeceased by his sister, Donna Wambolt, and his brothers, Gary Ivory and James “Jay” Ivory, as well as his dear nephew, Nicholas “Nico” Pennellatore.
When the family arrived in North Attleboro in 1969, Tony became a Rocketeer for life. He was a graduate of North Attleboro High School, Class of 1974, where he played football during his junior year. After high school, Tony continued working at the North Attleboro House of Pizza, a job he started during his high school years. It was during this early period of 70-hour work weeks that Tony joined the Jaycees, a civic group for prospective community leaders. This was a harbinger of things to come as it laid the foundation for his life of exceptional community service that was recognized in 2010 when he received the North Attleboro High School Alumni Association’s Community Impact Award.
Seeking a change, Tony shifted dreams and took a job as Production Manager at the Roman Company in Attleboro before transitioning into management of the newly created retail side of Marciano Sporting Goods in Mansfield. After placing the retail side of Marciano’s on solid ground, Tony cast his eye on a new opportunity that would become his life’s vocation, the care and happiness of children.
Having gained experience and knowledge of the North Attleboro Park and Recreation Program as a Park Commissioner, Tony was primed to take the department to new heights as its Director in July of 1988. His progressive leadership lead to an explosion in programming and attendance, marked by outstanding counselors that Tony empowered to lead the youth of North Attleboro. A “Golden Age” of North Attleboro Park and Rec was marked by children who were so entranced by the camp atmosphere Tony and his counselors created that they insisted on being dropped off at the earliest possible moment and not being picked up until the last bell. . . a parent’s dream.
The magic he wove as the Park and Rec Director did not go unnoticed by the Hockomock Area YMCA which awarded him their Character Counts award in 1995. Not surprisingly, in January of 2002, Tony transitioned his passion for community work to the Hockomock Area YMCA, where he would work for the next 18 years, first as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and later as the Vice President of Child Protection and Social Responsibility. In 2004, working with parents and local schools, he was proud to have created the Integration Initiative, a program that brings together children with special needs and their typically developed peers. A passion inspired by his brother Jay and nephew Nico, both of whom had special needs and disabilities. In addition, he worked tirelessly in support of the Legend’s Ball, producing inspiring videos, which helped raise hundreds of thousand dollars in support of critical programs for over 1,200 children, teens, young adults, and adults with special needs and their families.
Tony’s role as the Vice President of Child Protection and Social Responsibility beginning in 2011 took him on to the national stage. He became a respected national leader on programing to protect youth from sexual abuse and trained over 5,000 adults locally in detection and prevention methods. He also was a frequent spokesperson, both regionally and nationally, on the topic of leadership. In recognition of his contributions he was awarded the prestigious Triangle Award for outstanding service by New England YMCAs in December of 2019. Tony’s commitment to his community was not limited to his professional career, however, as many of his personal endeavors and passions had the community of North Attleboro first and foremost in mind. In addition to serving several terms on the North Attleboro Park Commission, he also served with distinction on the Board of Directors for the ARC of Northern Bristol County, the North Attleboro School Committee (12 years), the North Attleboro Scholarship Foundation (25 years), the North Attleboro Representative Town Meeting (13 years), the Attleboro Area Golf Association Summer Tournament, and the Monday Night Gridiron Club.
For many people in town, though, Tony’s most visible contributions were as a steadfast supporter of “Big Red” football. After graduation, he embraced his position on the “chain gang” and eventually became a volunteer coach on North Attleboro’s staff in charge of “scout teams” in 1993. Staff members were especially appreciative of scouting trips during which he would serenade stands full of delighted fans with Beatles’ tunes.
In truth, his greatest gridiron contribution may have been the decades of “Big Red” highlight films that he began producing in 1987; these films would become cherished keepsakes for generations of players and inspirations for Rocketeers in waiting. For his varied service to “Big Red”, he was honored with entry in the Attleboro Area Football Hall of Fame, a banquet he emceed frequently to the delight of attendees from all three area schools.
Tony had a number of other personal interests which he pursued passionately. Among them was travel that took him from Europe to the Great Wall of China where, according to legend, someone upon his arrival was heard to shout out “Hey, Tony”. As an avid follower of the arts, he would take trips to the theater district of New York and enjoy several plays in a weekend. Also, his eclectic movie tastes would lead him on day trips into Boston to see the latest movie releases on “the big screen.” A devoted reader, he was often accompanied on these trips by books to occupy any downtime between shows. He also loved the Wizard of Oz and doing card tricks; of course, there was his deep love of music that would cause him to break into spirited song on a whim. The lead singer in several bands throughout his life, he had been performing most recently with the Mercy Beats, a band that featured the music of the world’s greatest band, The Beatles.
A keen poker player, Tony graduated from his early days at the Falls A.C., North End Club, and Highland Country Club to frequenting casinos from Foxwoods to Las Vegas to his latest love, the Beau Rivage, in Biloxi, Mississippi where he was planning to spend his retirement years beginning in May. His combination of sharp intellect and gregarious personality created a unique circumstance that enabled him to relieve his opponents of their money, while at the same time leave them laughing.
Tony has left behind a wonderful legacy of love and laughter: love of life, love of family, love of all children with a special place in his heart for those less fortunate and, of course, for those who wore the Red and White of “Big Red.” A master storyteller and humorist, he has left us with the greatest of gifts, the gift of laughter, allowing us to laugh with each other and at ourselves.
Due to the current health crisis and governmental restrictions, funeral services for Tony will be private.
A Celebration of Tony’s Life will be held at a later date and time to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, Tony’s family requests that donations be made to the Hockomoock Area YMCA to establish the Tony Calcia Scholarship Fund to support summer camp experiences for children with special needs. Gifts can be made online or by mailing to: Hockomock Area YMCA, 300 Elmwood St, North Attleborough, MA 02760.
For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit an online guest book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro.
