Anthony "Tony" J Sterantino , VRHS Class of 1948
He was born in Rensselaer, the son of the late Rosario and Teresa Sterantino. Tony was married to Anna May, his high school sweetheart, for 68 years. Tony lived a vibrant and full life enjoying time with family and friends. Tony was a dedicated father, grandfather "Poppy" and great-grandfather. He treasured his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered around his table for any occasion. Tony worked for IBM 36 plus years starting out in upstate New York and relocated his family to Raleigh in 1973. Bored in retirement, Tony joined the staff of St. Raphael Catholic Church as the facilities maintenance man and retired again in 2010. He was a man of many talents and interests. He loved spending time going to sporting events; cheering on his grandkids; making weekend/week-long trips to New York and going on tropical vacations with longtime friends. He enjoyed being a member of the North Carolina Master Gardener program and tending to his home garden. Tony was proud of his Sicilian heritage and enjoyed passing on his love of cooking traditional recipes to his children and grandchildren. He was an active member of St. Raphael Catholic Church, a U.S. Navy veteran, and "Mr. fix-it" for his family. Tony was preceded in death by his wife, Anna May; his parents; and siblings, Patsy, Joseph, Blanche, Josephine and Mary. He is survived by his brother, Dominic. Tony is also survived by his four daughters, Patricia Lippman of Knightdale, N.C., Sandra Sterantino of Raleigh, N.C., Diana Goss of Raleigh, N.C., and Teresa (Michael) Crutchfield of Raleigh, N.C.; grandchildren, Kristen and Toni Lippman, Kara (Seth), Logan (Jessica) and Jarod Goss, and Anthony and Danielle Crutchfield; great-granddaughter, Emerson Walters; great-grandson, Lucas Lippman; and several nieces, nephews and "special friends." A Mass will be held on April 22, at 11 a.m. followed by the Rite of Committal in the St. Raphael Catholic Church columbarium. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Tony to the American Cancer Society or Transitions LifeCare.