On December 1, 2012, Augustine Avanzato passed, at age 90, peacefully from this world to his home of eternal rest with the Lord.

During his long working career, he was an ironworker, and later received the calling to become a Wilmington Police Officer. Upon retiring from that career, he went back to being a sheet metalist until he retired permanently.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, vegetable gardening, and horse racing.

Augustine was born in West Virginia to Italian immigrant parents, Concetto and Mary. When his father died in coal mine explosion, his mother and siblings moved to Pennsylvania. While at a dance in Wilmington, he met his future wife, Theresa, whom he spent 68 years of his life before she passed in 2011.

He will be sadly missed by his children, Maryanne, John, Michele, and David; grandchildren, Tim, Andrea, Shawn, Dawn, Amy, Mike, Jake, and Matt; 6 adorable great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; his last surviving sibling, Frances; and sister-in-law, Adeline. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by his nephews, Msgr. Charles Vance, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 9th and DuPont Sts. in Wilmington, on Friday, December 7 at 12 noon. Entombment will follow in Cathedral Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday morning, prior to mass, from 10:30-11:45am.

In lieu of flowers, Augustine requested memorial contributions be made to the Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 N. Poplar St., Wilmington, DE 19801.

On December 1, 2012, Augustine Avanzato passed, at age 90, peacefully from this world to his home of eternal rest with the Lord.

During his long working career, he was an ironworker, and later received the calling to become a Wilmington Police Officer. Upon retiring from that career, he went back to being a sheet metalist until he retired permanently.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, vegetable gardening, and horse racing.

Augustine was born in West Virginia to Italian immigrant parents, Concetto and Mary. When his father died in coal mine explosion, his mother and siblings moved to Pennsylvania. While at a dance in Wilmington, he met his future wife, Theresa, whom he spent 68 years of his life before she passed in 2011.

He will be sadly missed by his children, Maryanne, John, Michele, and David; grandchildren, Tim, Andrea, Shawn, Dawn, Amy, Mike, Jake, and Matt; 6 adorable great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; his last surviving sibling, Frances; and sister-in-law, Adeline. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by his nephews, Msgr. Charles Vance, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 9th and DuPont Sts. in Wilmington, on Friday, December 7 at 12 noon. Entombment will follow in Cathedral Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday morning, prior to mass, from 10:30-11:45am.

In lieu of flowers, Augustine requested memorial contributions be made to the Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 N. Poplar St., Wilmington, DE 19801.