Mario Barone
Pioneer, visionary and pillar of Montreal's Italian community, Mr. Mario Barone passed away peacefully on January 10, surrounded by his loving family, at the venerable age of 93. He was predeceased in God's arms by Marietta Forte Barone, his beloved wife of 70 years. The young couple had five children, Italo (Mirna), Silvana (Habib), Marinella, Adriana (Paolo) and Mauro (Nathalie), and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many friends and family across the world.
Born in 1931 in Cantalupo nel Sannio, in Italy's Molise region, the devastation of the Second World War propelled him on a long and harrowing journey that culminated at Pier 21 on the shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the night of Christmas, 1951. Every Christmas Eve, at the stroke of midnight, as the family gathered around the dinner table, he would tirelessly remind his family of the difficult and life-changing journey from Italy to Canada.
From extremely difficult and humble beginnings, many would agree that he lived several remarkable lives
in one. Having received the highest honors from the Republic of Italy, he was widely recognized as a pioneer and visionary. He became a prolific builder, changing the face and skyline of Mile-End, Saint-Michel, Anjou and, above all, Saint-Léonard, the city he shaped from farmland and that he loved. He lived in the neighborhood he had created in the 1960s, and in the same family home he had built, until his final hours, according to his wishes. Over the decades, he had extended his business activities to the United States and Italy. When asked about his remarkable success in Montreal and abroad, he often replied simply: "I've done my part".
He was the first Italian immigrant elected to public office in Quebec, holding various positions within
the City of Saint-Léonard. Blessed with a sharp, cutting wit, his impressive oratory skills and determination
to always defend his fellow citizens against perceived injustices propelled him to the forefront of a growing public controversy in the late 1960s: the proposed ban on bilingual education for the children of Quebec's emerging immigrant population. The central role he played in the battle to protect access to bilingual education
in Quebec was recently the subject of a successful documentary film: La Bataille de Saint- Léonard, perhaps
his greatest legacy to the thousands of Quebec students who are perfectly bilingual today.
An extremely proud Canadian, he adored Quebec and his hometown of Montreal, while returning to Italy every year to honor his native Cantalupo, which he loved and proudly claimed he had never forgotten his origins.
A devout Roman Catholic, his faith in God was unshakeable, as was his deep attachment to several churches
that were particularly dear to him, both in Montreal and in Italy.
Grateful for their father's extraordinary life, the family will receive visitors on Thursday, January 23,
from 4 to 9 p.m., at Urgel Bourgie Athos, 6700 Beaubien East.
A religious celebration in his memory will be held on Friday, January 24, at 10 a.m.
at Notre- Dame-de-la-Défense Church, 6800 Henri Julien, Montreal.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Alzheimer's Society would be most appreciated. www.alzheimer.ca