Dave Marchiori: Gentle soul. Jeopardy! lover. Foodie. Friend. Born Jan. 6, 1962, in Mississauga; died March 30, 2023, in Mississauga, of lung cancer; aged 61.
David MarchioriCourtesy of family
When Dave Marchiori was in the hospital about to take his last breath, he looked at his sister Claudia and said, “Keep being you.” This simple message summed up his life in three words.
Dave and his sister Susan were the youngest of six children, four of whom – Silvana, Franco, Franca and Claudia – were born in Italy. Born in Canada, the last two were given Canadian names and they were kindred spirits, attending the same school, sharing the same group of friends and both loving hockey. They would rush home from school at lunchtime to watch The Flintstones while eating. But as they grew older, they grew apart, just as Joni Mitchell sings in her song, Both Sides Now, “life got in the way.”
This didn’t stop Dave from attending every family function. He was always the life of the party. Telling jokes, laughing and kidding around with nieces and nephews, they all knew how much Dave appreciated them. His siblings meant the world to him, having lost his father when he was one year old, and his mother at a young age. His older sisters and brother would assist with parenting and often took him to hockey games, skating and tobogganing. Dave was a top scorer in his Triple A league in Mississauga and when the family went skating together, he always showed them up with his skills.
Dave braved downtown Toronto traffic in his job as a driver. His customers loved chatting as he dropped off their office supplies. He never missed a day of work and won many employee recognition awards. Once he saw a car’s engine on fire, pulled over and offered the fire extinguisher in his truck. The car owner later wrote a letter to his employer, Grand and Toy, thanking him. Dave always liked retelling this story.
Dave’s daily habit of visiting a Tim Hortons drive-through helped him meet his partner later in life. The server asked if he was single and then arranged for him to meet her friend. Dave and Geraldine hit it off and spent many happy years attending neighbourhood food festivals. Toronto’s Christmas market was also a favourite and was one of the last outings Dave was able to manage.
A cancer diagnosis changed everything. When Dave became ill, he thought it best to move in with his sister Claudia. Susan moved in also to help out. Geraldine visited often and took him out to eat as Dave loved food so much. Dave was stoic in his approach to the disease, he felt that if Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie couldn’t beat cancer, how could he?
In the short time he had left, the focus became getting to truly know Dave. He was a foodie and meals were cherished. The times gathered around the table together were special even if Dave had an opinion on how to cook salmon just so. Cherry cheesecake and brownies were his favourite desserts and he insisted that a meal started with appetizers, much to the chagrin of the cooks. He especially loved Paris toasts with Boursin cheese and smoked salmon.
Dave’s true personality shone through his illness. He was gentle. He loved to chit chat. At his funeral, friends spoke about how Dave had a heart of gold.
Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were never missed. Dave and his sisters dropped everything at 7 p.m. and gathered around the television. Even though Dave entered the world of work at age 16, he knew many of the answers and put them to shame. When they got one right he would clap softly.
Dave taught his family much during their time together. “Keep being you” is a message that rings true to this day. He encouraged his family to continue to " look at life from both sides now.” And they do.
Susan Marchiori is one of Dave Marchiori’s sisters.
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