In Loving Remembrance, Anthony “Tony” Gismondi passed away on February 1, 2022 in Michigan at age 101-plus. His supportive, wife Jane of over 59 years predeceased him in 2010, just short of her 90th birthday.

He is survived by his daughter Linda (Walt) of Lake Orion, MI and his three adult grandchildren, Brandi, Mitchell and Lilly, plus several nieces and nephews.

He was next to the youngest and oldest living of eight siblings. He was born on June 10, 1920 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to parents Phillip and Antionette (Selitti) Gismondi, born in Italy.

He took care of his mom in Pennsylvania until 1963 and then moved her to Michigan with the rest of his siblings nearby, until she passed in 1972 and was buried back in Pennsylvania with his dad. His mother was his hard-working role model and had much admiration for her.

Anthony loved gardening and teaching. He and his wife had a large acre garden and heated greenhouse in rural Pennsylvania where, during summers, they raised and sold vegetables. He taught agriculture at the local schools before retiring and then teaching classes at a Penn State branch and Adult Community College. Many of his students became lifelong friends which he cherished.

Throughout his life Anthony had an extreme passion, knowledge and green thumb for growing from seeds a variety of plants and vegetables. At age 89 he and his wife published a garden book. His wife also masterfully cooked all the food they raised.

In 1944, he was employed to teach vocational agriculture at Plum Township until 1980, then general science, where he spent the last 20 years teaching high school biology. He loved taking kids on field trips, and helping students do research to enter into the state contests.

He helped many people in a lot of ways. He was also member of the Kiwanis Club.

He taught over 36 years with two master’s degrees in biology and agriculture, GI veterans through ROTC, was a master gardener with the Pittsburgh men’s garden club.

During the summers, he raised, ate and sold his own food, fruit and vegetables on his acre ground and was always around students and people.

He did a variety of side jobs in his life including paperboy, altar boy, selling silverware, welding and building his own home all with the handicap of one eye from a freak accident at 9 years old.

He got a $50 dollar scholarship to attend Penn State in 1940, and worked odd jobs for the college serving meals, driving a truck for a strip coal mining company, rubber company making tires, foundry and glass factory and taking care of his mother since all his siblings moved to Michigan. He was a two year chairperson for the local historical farm shows that attracted many people, which he was proud of helping his science students getting many 1st place state awards and recognition for Plum.

After retirement for nine years at a local college, he taught adults horticulture in evenings. He’s the only male sibling in his family that got colleges degrees from both Penn State and University of Pittsburgh with extra graduate certifications.

For the last 12 years after his wife passed, he has been living in Michigan with his daughter and got to spend more time with his grandchildren.

He was active on the Orion Senior Center board member for three years, exercising at Health Quest and participated in many activities at the Orion Community Center, where he made many new friends and memories with the Mumblers social group, and he just enjoyed talking and telling stories.

He said “keep busy, the mind active, exercise along with eating homegrown food” was the key to living over 100.

You can leave a message on the funeral homes online memorial page at modetzfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, consider donations to the family to plant a tree, garden, bench, etc. in Anthony’s memory.

A celebration will be held at a later date.