Carmine Camillo

Carmine Camillo, beloved son, husband, father, and papà, passed away on November 18th, 2020.  Born on December 27th, 1938 in Forlì del Sannio, Italy, he was the eldest son of the late Armando and Edvige (Iarussi) Camillo. 

Carmine was a master carpenter, learning his trade in Italy and working in Switzerland and France, from Marseille to Paris, before immigrating with his family to the United States in 1968.  For over 30 years, he worked for E.E. Austin and Son, overseeing construction projects ranging from schools to hospitals, and special projects like the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle State Park and at The Chautauqua Institute (and anything and everything in-between).  Carmine remodeled countless homes, including finishing basements to complete additions; there was nothing he could not build or repair.  He took great pride in his hard work and a job well done. 

His most important construction was his family.  He married his wife of 48 years, Marilyn (Jardine) Camillo, on April 8th, 1972.  They have two sons, Carmine (Jodie) and Thomas (Heidi), for whom he built a house in which the family still resides today.  He was most fortunate to be blessed with four grandchildren, Clara, Sam, Nicolina, and Dino, all of whom made him smile instantly upon seeing them.  He loved to play with them and was sometimes like a “5th child” to Marilyn when they would all be together.  Even while stricken with dementia, papà would light-up with excitement upon seeing his beloved kids.

Carmine was a legendary bocce player, much to the chagrin of those who played against him for so many years at so many different bocce courts.  He was a member of La Nuova Aurora Society and a host of other clubs, while also being an usher at Our Lady of Peace Church for 20 years.  In his younger years he played mandolin and clarinet.  Carmine and Marilyn loved to dance with each other and would always be found on the dance floor of any wedding or party.  His garden was always robust and full of vegetables, and his fig tree produced abundant fruit that gave him a taste of home. Carmine, Marilyn, Carmine, and Tom made a family trip to Italy in 2006, cementing the connection between the Old Country and his wonderful new world.  

In addition to his wife and children and their children, Carmine is further survived by his brother, Franco, and his family, and his cousins in Italy.

 Friends may call at the Quinn Funeral Home, West 9^th & Liberty St. on Sunday, November 22nd, from 1pm- 4pm and are invited to a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, 2401 W. 38th St., on Monday, November 23rd at 10:00 AM. To view the mass livestream, please go to Facebook Our Lady of Peace Parish website. Livestreaming will begin at 10:00 AM. Burial will be private. All CDC guidelines including facemasks and social distancing will be in effect.

Memorials can be made to Springhill and the team in The Woodlands, who took such good care of Carmine over the last several months.