Obituary of Canio Soranno

Obituary Canio Soranno, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully in his daughter’s home in Oro Valley, AZ on December 5, 2018 at the age of 88. Born on April 18, 1930 in Dunmore, PA, he was the 3rd oldest of 9 kids in a large and lively Italian family. He graduated from Dunmore High School in 1947 and immediately left to work in the culinary industry in resorts in Saranac Lake, NY and Hollywood Beach, FL. His advancement from sous chef to eventual head chef took him from South Florida to Chicago-area banquet venues with a couple of brief stints in PA, near both Philadelphia and Scranton. After raising his children in the Chicago suburbs, he and his wife Elizabeth eventually retired in Peoria, AZ in 1996. He served his country honorably when he was drafted in the Army but wanted no recognition as a veteran, stating that his service consisted of driving a colonel back and forth in Trieste, Italy, and between trips would drink beer and play baseball. Canio is pre-deceased by his wife Elizabeth, his parents Matteo and Beatrice Soranno, his sister Dora Ritti, and brothers Matt, James, and Sal Soranno. He is survived by his son Peter (Lori) Soranno, daughter Gina (Jim) McCann, grandchildren Jenni (Nathan) Walker, Kara Soranno, Lauren Soranno, Melissa McCann, and Sean McCann, great grandchildren Brooklynn, Kaylee, Isaiah, Ariana, Aleena, Jamie, and Aubriella, his brothers Donato (Ann Marie) Soranno, Bill (Mary) Soranno, Joe Soranno, his sister Florence Magnotta, and many more nieces and nephews. Canio was a simple man who enjoyed watching football and baseball (never basketball or golf!) and was thrilled he was around to watch the Cubs win the World Series in 2016. While watching the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks, his daughter’s kids got quite an education listening to his profanity-laced commentary. For a chef he was surprisingly not very adventurous in his dining choices, preferring mostly comfort foods and pie. He did not like Mexican food at all, which was quite a challenge when spending his final years with his daughter’s family in Tucson. He loved loud festive family gatherings with plenty of food, wine, and laugher. Canio's son Peter and daughter Gina would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to dear friends Jenni, Rita, and Leanne who provided assistance and support beyond measure during Canio's final journey. Words cannot adequately expess our gratitude. A Celebration of Life will take place at a future date in Dunmore, PA. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Canio Soranno, please visit our floral store.