Antonio Santagata

Antonio John Santagata

Louisville, GA  – Antonio John Santagata, 85, entered into rest Wednesday morning, October 23, 2013 at Warrenton Health and Rehab Center.  A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00PM  Friday, October 25, 2013 in the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church with Father Patrick Otor officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at a later date in Rhode Island.

One of four children born to the late Lillian Rose Menese Santagata and the late Anthony John Santagata, Antonio grew up and lived most of his adult life in Providence, Rhode Island. He also lived in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco and moved to this area to live with his daughter three years ago. Antonio was a professional chef in Las Vegas in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, where he cooked for and “hobnobbed” with the “stars”—Jack Benny and Bob Hope, to name a couple. He then went into real estate sales. Antonio enjoyed going to the movies and was a huge movie buff.  He enjoyed life and lived it to its fullest, working hard and playing hard but always in “his” own way, choosing and following “his” path.  Above it all, he was devoted to his mother and loved his family. A truly unique man who did it his way left us with many great memories and stories of great life adventures.

Antonio was also preceded in death by his brother, John Leonard Santagata; and his three spouses, Elenora Aquilante, Frances Ragano and Phyllis Fuoco.  His survivors include his seven children, Eleanor M. Spivey, Linda Miele, Anthony Santagata (Anita), David Santagata (Kathy), Michael Santagata, Gina Fleishman (Steve) and Robert Santagata; two siblings, Everett Santagata and Eileen Rao; sixteen grandchildren, Paula Templeton (Michael), John Medeiros (Diane), Gayle Pitts (Bruce), David Spivey, Joseph Spivey (Krystle), Kimberly Hartley (David), Daniel Spivey, Peter Spivey (Robin), Valerie Miele, Anthony Santagta Jr., Alicia Santagata, Christopher Santagata (Heidi), Heather Crook (Ian), Marissa Santagata, Tyler Santagata and Carly Fleishman; 18 great grandchildren; and 6 great-great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends after the services.
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The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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