Anthony J. Noto

Anthony Joseph Noto, age 97, of Bethel, CT passed away on June 11, 2024 at his home surrounded by his loving family.

Anthony, or “Poppy” as he was affectionately called by his grandkids, was a man of great character, with a jovial nature, playful sense of humor, and boisterous, contagious laugh who was liked by everyone who met him.

To spend time with Poppy was a guarantee of the following: you’d hear a story from his life, feel the wonder of the world he saw evolve over nearly ten decades, and upon saying goodbye to him you’d receive a kiss on the lips.

Anthony, the 4th child of Sicilian immigrants, Rosalia and Paolo Noto, was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 5, 1927.

He is predeceased by his parents and his brothers Paul and Frank, and his sister, Josephine.

He graduated from Brooklyn High School of Automotive Trades, which sparked a lifetime love of working on cars and all things mechanical.

Anthony married his great love, Olga Wanat, on June 6, 1948, at Transfiguration of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They were happily married for 52 years, prior to her passing in December 2002, and Anthony continued to wear his wedding ring in the two decades that followed.

They are survived by three children—Steven Noto of Colorado; Elaine Noto Varney Toaso and her husband Paul, with whom he lived, and Peter Noto of California—nine grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Anthony served as a Sergeant in the United States Army and was stationed in Europe during World War II. He spent time as a paratrooper and with infantry during the war. His stories of searching for Nazis in Austria throughout caves or chasing after them down mountains on skis could rival sequences from one of his favorite films, The Dirty Dozen.

Upon returning home, he worked briefly for American Airlines, singing in their band (yes, American Airlines had a band), and then deeply enjoyed a fifty-year career at Elgot Appliance Store in New York City. He started in sales but expanded the store’s business into designing and remodeling high-end kitchens and baths in Manhattan. Scanning through his large client rolodex one would find the names Chaplin, Vanderbilt, and Nixon mixed between sports figures & owners, movie stars, celebrities, and heads of industries and state.

In the 1970s, Anthony bought three plots of land and constructed a second home on Big Bass Lake in Gouldsboro, PA. The house became a bastion for generations of extended family that visited over nearly fifty years. There, Anthony could often be found working on cars, riding the land on his Kubota tractor while instructing his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to pick up sticks in the surrounding forest so that his “woods were clean” all the while getting an incredibly deep, dark tan.

In his early nineties, Anthony moved to Bethel, CT and lived with his daughter and son-in-law, who lovingly cared for him. Never losing his love of life or eternal youthfulness, even while using a wheelchair, Anthony most enjoyed this period when playing with his great-grandchildren–whether it was with building Legos, battles with army men, dress up, or laser tag –badly beating his entire family in Monopoly, and indulging in his lifetime sweet tooth.

Poppy will be dearly missed by his family and forever remembered as a man who greeted you with a bright, warm smile and said goodbye with a smack of a kiss.

Arrangements include a wake at Jowdy-Kane Funeral Home at 9 Granville Ave, Danbury, CT on Friday, June 14 from 4 to 7pm.

A small prayer service will begin at 6:15pm and anyone is welcome to come share a favorite story or memory of Poppy.

Poppy will be buried in the family plot in Moscow, PA on Saturday, June 15 alongside his beloved wife, Olga.

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