Anthony "Tony" Richard Pasquinelli, 88, of Hinsdale, died April 17, 2022, at his home surrounded by his children and those who loved him best.
Tony was born in 1933, as a first-generation Italian-American to his parents, Bruno B. and Mabel M. Pasquinelli in Chicago. He lost the love of his life, Mary Ann Pasquinelli, née Roche, after 57 years of marriage on Nov. 2, 2017.
Tony had a great appreciation and respect for education, which began early on. He attended Lindbloom High School in 1949, where he was captain of the basketball team. In 1954, he earned his bachelor's in accounting from the University of Illinois. Tony was so passionate about education that he sent all seven of his children to college, and in some cases, graduate school as well.
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1956, Tony lived in Fort Lee, Va., for two years. Upon his return to Chicago, he earned the recognition of top lumber salesman at Lakeside Lumber. Tony and his brother, Bruno, co-founded a construction company in 1958. Unsure of what to name their business, they went to their father for advice, who told them, "put your name on your business so you'll always be proud of it." Taking their dad's advice to heart, they named their venture Pasquinelli Construction Co. and adopted the logo of a plumb bob to signify their motto, "Straight and True in All You Do," a philosophy they lived by and taught their children.
Over 50 years, Pasquinelli Construction Co. built 45,000 homes across 13 metro markets in 13 states, rising to their pinnacle in the early 2000s, when they became the 24th largest home-building company in the United States, and the fifth largest private home-building company in the country. Bruno and Tony were not only business partners, but dear friends who raised their children together, and spent many happy years vacationing in Aspen, Colo., at Christmas time, where they shared a love of skiing.
In 1958, Tony married his true love, Mary Ann Roche, an OB nurse at Evergreen Park's Little Company of Mary Hospital and welcomed seven children. Lifelong lovers of golf and tennis, the couple joined Flossmoor Country Club in 1968, where their children cultivated their own enthusiasm for the sports Tony loved so well.
The 1980s and 1990s were very busy for Tony, as he held many leadership positions at organizations such as the Residential Construction Employers Council (president), Matteson-Richton Bank (board director), Beverly Bank Matteson (board chairman) and St. Paul Federal Bank (director). Perhaps his proudest personal achievement was his involvement in The Center for Performing Arts at Governor's State University, where he was a co-founder and board member for many years.
Tony's passion for real estate and education led him to establish the Distinguished Chair in Real Estate at the School of Real Estate at Roosevelt University, Chicago, where he served as chairman of the advisory board of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate. He also served on the board of trustees of Roosevelt University, where he was a lifetime trustee and was influential in supporting the Wabash Building Project and the dream of a vertical downtown campus.
Tony and Bruno established the Pasquinelli Family Foundation, a philanthropic endeavor designed to give back to the communities that were important to them, including the Caritas Society (Saint Coletta), Misericordia, Northwestern Hospital, Respond Now, Common Hope, Marian Catholic High School and Glenwood Academy, among many others.
For decades, Tony and Mary Ann were avid supporters of the Chicago Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, regularly attending performances and contributing financially to the organizations. Over the years, the couple brought their children to performances, exposing them to music and culture, and cultivating a new generation to support the arts in Chicagoland and beyond.
Tony is survived by his seven children, Joseph (Mary), Maria (Teri), David (Diana), Anthony (Roxane), Ellen (Brian) Bergersen, Anne-Marie (Derek) Trnka and Joan (Eric) Van Beest; his brothers, Bruno (Sallie), Jim (Barbara) and Michael (Catherine); his 16 grandchildren; his one great-grandchild; and countless nieces and nephews.
Tony was preceded in death by his sister and best friend, JoAnne (Leslie) Barnard, with whom Tony spent most of his Saturdays drinking coffee in her kitchen and staying up-to-date on family activities.
Visitation is at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 124 N. Spring Ave., La Grange.
A funeral Mass will follow at the church at 10:30 a.m.
Interment is at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or online at http://www.alz.org/donate. Sullivan Funeral Home in Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
