Adolfo Serafini
July 17, 1928 – March 1, 2018
Adolfo Serafini was born on July 17, 1928 to Eleonora and Alfredo Serafini in the beautiful renaissance town of Urbino, in the Marche region of Italy.
He was one of five children, together with Dora, Arturo, Bruno and Alfrida.
At the age of 12, during World War II, he and his father went to work in Rome (near Frascati) and would send money home to help support his family.
In Rome, he and his father were separated. His father found work at an artisian well, whereas dad worked in a quarry. His job was to clean the men’s barracks, feed and take care of the horse, leading him to pasture during the day and bringing him back at night.
When Rome was in danger of being bombed, he and his dad returned to his home village, Calmazzo, in le Marche on the Adriatic. Unfortunately, even as a young boy, when a nearby town church was bombed, dad had to help bury the dead.
At the age of 19, he went to Belgium to work in the coal mines in Mons, 800 meters below the ground. He would send all of his salary home to help support his family, and kept a very small allowance, enough for him to go to the movies. On the weekend, he and his paesano from Calmazzo, who had gone with him to Belgium, would ride their bikes into France and go to the pictures. He earned a handsome salary, about 400 francs per week, depending on how much coal he generated. He worked about 10 hours a day! He worked so hard that with the money he sent home, his parents were able to buy their house.
It’s not every day that a child buys a house for their mother and father!!!
Dad worked in Mons for 3 years and then returned to Italy for a few months before coming to Canada.
He set sail from Le Havre and took ship to Canada in December, 1951. He stayed in immigration for one week, and then they sent them to work 30 km past St. Johns to work in a mine.
After working in the mines and several farming jobs, dad found out that there was a lot of work for immigrants in the Toronto area. That’s what brought him to Hamilton, where he met our mom, Celestina. They were married on October 8, 1955 and bought their first house, which he paid for in three years! Tiziana was born one year later on October 3, 1956, and then he got his one and only son, John, on June 21, 1959. Dad was so happy that he went out and bought a car on the day John was born!
Dad and mom then bought our second home- it was a little fixer upper on Edward Street. Dad totally renovated the home for our family. Ten years later, Tania was born on July 24, 1969, and our home became filled with love and laughter, (and had become a little crowded. )Dad and mom lived a modest life, as their greatest joy was spending time with the family- eating good food- making prosciutto, sausages, wine. There was always something cooking on the stove. Their only vacations were those that took the family back home to la provincial di Pesaro, Italy.
In 1973, mom and dad bought a little house in the country- seven acres of heaven. Once again, dad renovated and put an extension on the house, and there he spent his best 40 years- feeding the chickens, rabbits and ducks. He loved his dogs and always made sure our pets were fed before we ate. Dad was “king of the castle”, and mom treated him like one! Our home was always full of friends and family- always an espresso on its way.
As you can tell, dad’s life was a legacy of hard work- always for his family. He worked as an iron worker with Local 736, and started up 2 companies, the most rewarding of which was Starr Erectors, when he did projects with his son, John. Together they built airport hangers, arenas, and other industrial buildings. When we were little, dad often worked out of town for months on end and we were so excited when he returned, especially because he always brought some toys with him. One summer, back in 1972, dad even built a weather station in the North Pole while we were visiting our grandparents in Italy.
But it wasn’t always hard work- he loved the fall as it was the beginning of hunting season. As a young man, he and his band of merry men would go hunting, and in the summer, the whole family spent many days fishing at the Grand River. He always caught the biggest one! We thought it was his fishing rod, but when we used it, we didn’t catch much. Dad also took under his wing, his “other son”, Tony. Dad loved Tony. He couldn’t have asked for a better son-in-law, a hard worker who shared the same family values as dad. For dad, business was done on a handshake. He was true to his word, a man who gave and received much respect from everyone fortunate enough to know him.
Dad leaves us with a strong work ethic, a love for family and traditions that we hold dear to our heart- a passion for good food- for dad it was fresh figs, spare ribs, home- made pasta, and chocolate. We’ll never forget him whistling and singing an Italian tune, feeding the birds, especially his beloved doves, and enjoying an espresso over some casino talk.
He loved his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. He was most happy when the great-grandchildren would come and visit and always wanted us to pick out something special for them.
We will miss you, dad. We know that just as a whiff of mom’s perfume, brings back her lifetime, the wisp of a dove’s feather will magically bring us back to you. Now that you’re back with the love of your life, we hope that, together, you will soar on angels’ wings, the seraphims, and know that we will always love you.
