Costantino "Stanley" Conti, 81, passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin.
Stanley was born in Websterville on July 28, 1929, in the family home. He was the eighth of nine children born to Andrea and Loreta Conte, who had immigrated from Lettommanoppello, Italy. He attended the Websterville School before serving in the Vermont National Guard, Headquarters' Company, 172nd Infantry, 43rd Division.
In 1950, Stanley married the love of his life, Leonora Spagnoli, at St. Sylvester's Catholic Church in Graniteville; they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on Aug. 19, 2010. The couple resided in Lower Websterville for 20 years, eventually building a home next to the house in which Stanley was born.
Stanley worked for H.G. Bennett Company in Barre before working for Rossi Buick/Oldsmobile in Berlin. His high quality work and unique artisanship in the automotive industry gave him the talent to open his own body shop in 1960 in Lower Websterville. Conti's Body Shop later changed locations four times in the Quarry Hill area and Stanley became well known for his ability to match any color paint and repair vehicle bodies to their original quality. Stanley and Leonora moved to Quarry Hill for 15 years, eventually building two separate body shops near their home, before moving to Camp Street in Barre where they lived together for 24 years.
For 20 years, Stanley volunteered at the "Hill Street Group Home" in Barre, playing his accordion, singing, and cooking for the residents. He volunteered at Mathewson School for four years, teaching students Italian songs and leaving them with a sense of pride in one's heritage. His love for teaching and sharing resonated with the students and their appreciation was evident in the many thank you letters he received through the years from his students.
As an expert accordionist and singer of Italian songs, Stanley released a CD featuring his renditions of favorite Italian songs titled, "Canzoni Italiane da Costantino Conte."
Throughout his life, he enjoyed growing his own vegetable gardens; cooking genuine Italian meals; maintaining the vast family burial plots; hunting; mushrooming; and entertaining with his stories, jokes, accordion playing, and singing. Most recently, he enjoyed singing to his dog, "Lucci" who would always sing along with him.
Stanley was also interested in genealogy and was able to trace his roots by utilizing his newfound computer skills. It was through the internet that he became involved with the genealogy web site "Benvenuto A Lettomanoppello E Roccamorice" which lists him as the site "singer, storyteller, language consultant, and helper in every way." The official soundtrack for the web site is a compilation of instrumental songs from Stanley's CD.
Many will surely miss Stanley's sense of humor, talents, and unwavering optimism that he would win the lottery.
Stanley is survived by his wife, Leonora Conti; his brother, Conception "Conjie" Conti and his wife, Ronnie of Duxbury; his sister, Rose Roy and her husband, Edward of Westfield, Mass.; his brother, Peter Conti and his wife, Beverly of Berlin; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; his sister-in-law, Wayna Ferris and her husband, Maurice; special friends, Tanya Day of Barre and Brent Kidder and Chelsea Martin of Orange; and his best friend, Lucci.
Stanley was predeceased by his parents; brothers, Nicholas Conti and Vincent Conti; and sisters, Mary Poitras, Annette Klingerman, and Norma Nokes.
Standing, left to right: Costantino, Maria (born in Lu Lette), Concezio, Rosina, Pietro, Nicola-Antonia (born in Lu Lette), Nicolo (born in Lu Lette). Seated, left to right: Vincenzo, Loreta Di Pietrantonio Conte, Andrea Conte, Nunziatina.
We miss you Scoiattolo!!
SONGS OF LETTOMANOPPELLO AND ROCCAMORICE
ITALIAN SONGS TO DOWNLOAD
MORE SONGS BY COSTANTINO CONTE
