Antonio Vincent Nero

Nero, Antonio Vincent. Age 92, stopped participating in this life on Friday, March 26th at 7:00 AM. Having lived on his farm virtually all his life since 1943, his complete lack of fear of the unknown gave him the confidence to risk new ventures which were sometimes successful and just as often not. His life began on his father’s farm, which was lost to him after he had joined the Civilian Conservation Corp unit in Cape Henlopen, helping his family make payments on additional land purchased in the mid 30’s, the height of the depression and after the tragedy of losing both parents in the same week from eating mushrooms that had appeared to be the type that first generation Italians were used to picking and eating. However, he was not long from farming, as he used his earnings to continually buy parcels to create the area where he has lived in Laurel. Many from Sussex County enjoyed one of the finest and largest UPick strawberry patches, except on Sunday, when he would shoo people off, or bringing their family out to the farm carrying the advertisement “Live Christmas Trees – we ball them too!” His idea of using the farm’s drainage ditches to raise crayfish was thankfully squelched by his wife (Anna) prior to the newly heard of delacacies being brought in. His determination was never compressed long. When a failed contracted crop almost took his farm and home, Tony followed up a lead about broken mechanical equipment on the second span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge then under construction, and fixed the equipment under an agreement, “if I work on it and don’t fix it you don’t owe me a dime, if I do I want one of those ‘blue books’ and a job to save my farm.” One week later, Dad was an official member of the Operating Engineers. His love was always the land but his years in the CCs left him practiced in how to move lots of food to hungry men. With the same attitude that had him jumping in to the unknown, Tony and his wife Anna opened a restaurant in the late 40’s in Delmar using the opportunity of Thanksgiving to feed hundreds. No one in line waiting to get in had any idea that the ovens for the new restaurant had been unable to be plugged in and no turkeys were able to be cooked. Dad was busy making a hand shake deal the night before with a local baker to only buy bread from him if he could use his ovens through the night to cook his 25 turkeys. Take the chance was a rule he lived by. His love of God was evident in his ability to forgive, his simple acts of kindness and generosity to strangers as well as family, the use of God’s gifts, and his respect for the traditions of his faith. His official activities included St Francis de Sales Church Council, Life Member of the Knights of Columbus in Salisbury MD and Seaford DE but his unofficial efforts stretched from helping to build Holy Redeemer Church, to driving the unsold spaghetti dinners right after cooking for hundreds at church or political fundraisers to those less fortunate around the county. He spent the last of his life in a lifestyle that filled his heart to overflow and beyond. After enjoying time with close family and friends on the farm, he was able to enjoy the fruits of his labor and filling his days by enjoying good times and lots of laughs with his new friends at Brandywine Assisted Living in Rehoboth just minutes away from his daughter’s home in Lewes DE. He could not believe there were so many good old folks still around. His deep sense of awareness served him well to the last day when, after finishing as he would say ‘another good meal’, he sat back and made various calls to share his appreciation for his life’s path and to offer glimpses of sage advise. Within hours, he was on his next adventure. He will be dearly missed by those that connect with this real man. He is preceded in death by his parents, Santo Nero and Teodora Maccaroni, his wife Anna Coladonato Nero, his siblings Francis Nero, John Nero, Al Nero, Bartholomew Nero, Anna Nero, Mary Nero Galbraith. He is survived by five children, Anthony Vincent Nero, Jr of Berkeley CA; Robert Theodore Nero and his wife Giedre Nero of Taos New Mexico; Eugene Nero teaching English in Asia; Daniel Jude Nero and his wife Dona Rose Nero of Marlton NJ; Annette Nero Stellhorn and her husband Richard of Lewes DE and Hunt Valley MD; seven grandchildren, Alex Vincent Landing and his wife Elisabeth, Timothy Stellhorn and his wife Jessica; Todd Stellhorn all of Baltimore MD; Dona Rose Nero, Angelique Nero, Gabrielle Nero, Vincenzo Nero all of the Marlton NJ area and two great grandchildren; one sister, Elizabeth West of Lewes, and two brothers Nicholas Nero of Laurel, DE and Joseph Nero of Orlando FL. A Celebration of the Life of Tony Nero for friends, family, and neighbors will occur as follows: Visitation: Monday, March 29th from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Short Funeral Home, 13 East Grove Street Delmar , DE 19940 Phone: 302-846-2525; Tuesday, March 30th at 1:00 PM Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 532 West Stein Highway Seaford , DE 19973; Interment at St Stephens Cemetery State Street Delmar, DE 19940 followed by a Celebration of a Life Well Lived from 3:30 – 8:00 PM at his farm home at 13153 Nero Lane, Laurel DE 19956 where we invite all those that connected with this great man to stop in for food and fellowship. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice or to the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Lourdes Seaford DE C/O JS Santos PO Box 475 Seaford, DE 19973 or Knights of Columbus St Francis De Sales Council Salisbury MD

Antonio Vincent Nero

July 6, 1917 - March 26, 2010