This very beautiful obituary was written by Tony’s loving family. My husband and favorite person, Anthony Graziosi, passed away peacefully with me and his daughter at his side at Hackensack University Medical Center on August 1, 2026. He was 71.
A wonderful husband, father, father-in-law, and “Grump-Pa,” “Tony” was the epitome of a good man. He was charismatic and charming, lighting up every room with his presence. Although difficult to keep entertained and easily bored (especially with a car), I was the luckiest girl in the world to hold his love and attention for over 25 years, and will spend the rest of my life missing him.
He was first and foremost a dad to Nicole, and then Katie. Not a day went by without a check-in from the “National Guard,” as his niece called it. He was proud of them and the lives they were making for themselves. Having Nicole and her husband Sid, only a few houses away allowed him to continue to watch over her. Nothing made him happier than when they started their family. The last nine years were spent with his favorite boys, Neil and Nicky. He relished his title of Grump-Pa. He so hoped to teach them how to fish and see them grow up. Unable to travel the last few years, he always looked forward to hearing about Katie’s many adventurous road trips and her life out west. He so wished he could visit his “Kate the Pain” and see her life on the range. He loved his dog, Ollie, and his forever soul dog, Dexter, who I know is waiting for him with a golf ball.
He got a kick out of being Kay’s butler, and proved daily that he was the kind of man who loved taking care of other people. He continued to check in on “Nanny in Puerto Rico,” as he affectionately called her, and wished he could travel to visit her. He was the best brother-in-law to Theresa, Kenny and Dianne, Carmen, Al and Judy, and Jasmin. He was also lucky to have wonderful nieces and nephews. Their Uncle Tony was a big kid himself, and always a jokester.
He was blessed with loyal friendships—"his brothers," as he called them—whom he enjoyed spending time with, sharing videos, and especially sitting with on the front stoop. We are forever grateful to Gina and Gerald, otherwise known as the best neighbors; we could not have survived the last year without them.
He loved his garden and fountains, his flowers and lawn, and yes, his leaf blower. An avid listener of 70s music, he enjoyed listening to it way too loud at home and in the car. He liked to dance and have a good time, enjoyed a great meal out, relaxing on the deck with friends, and savoring a great glass of wine; how he wished he could have had a glass of wine this past year. He was the ultimate pretty boy—"don’t touch the hair!"—and always left the house dressed appropriately, clean-shaven, and with sneakers spotless. He tolerated camping season for my sake, but loved his Pennsylvania friends and a good game of Mexican Train (we knew he was cheating the whole time). He loved to travel, to fish, and to take long walks. He was a summer guy through and through (he had 72 pairs of shorts to prove it) and despised the winter. He dreamed of living by the water someday, and asked to spend his eternity there.
Tony is welcomed into heaven (which I can’t wait to tell him was true) by his first wife, Cookie; his parents, Marion and Angelo; his brothers, Tommy and Joey (God help him); his Uncle Mike; and his brother-in-law, Jamie.
We owe our deepest thanks to the bone marrow team at John Theurer Cancer Center, especially Dr. Donato, Emily, Sarah, and Jay and his team who all made a difficult journey more bearable because of their genuine kindness and compassion. We are both forever grateful for all that you did to make the last few years possible.
Arrangements by Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home are private, as was his final wish.
In lieu of flowers kindly consider a donation to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of John Theurer Cancer Center.