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April 25 - May 2, 2004 |
Addio to Dominic Agostino
Hundreds bid farewell to Liberal MPP who passed away of incurable disease at age 43
By Angelo Persichilli
Originally Published: 2004-04-04
I feel sure that not only he's in Heaven, but he's already busy organizing a campaign for a seat there," said Premier Dalton McGuinty during his touching eulogy for Dominic Agostino, his "MPP and personal friend," who passed away last week after a brief battle against an incurable illness.
Over 1,500 people attended the funeral of the Liberal MPP of Italian origin, held Saturday at St. Mary's Church in Hamilton. The crowd included the leaders of all three political parties - McGuinty, Ernie Eves, and Howard Hampton - and almost all of Queen's Park MPPs.
An emotional Premier McGuinty, accompanied by his wife, reached the church, followed the funeral to the cemetery, and finally went to the offices of LIUNA, where the deceased was remembered by Minister of Community and Social Services Sandra Pupatello.
"I'm particularly moved," said Finance Minister Greg Sorbara, "for several reasons. As it happens, Dominic had come to Canada from the same town of my parents, San Giorgio Morgeto."
Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni was also deeply saddened by the loss. He had a strong bond with Agostino from a personal as well as political standpoint. "I watched him grow up in every sense of the word," said Di Ianni. He remembered how it was his brother, Angelo Di Ianni, also attending the funeral, to induce Agostino to run as a school trustee and launch his political career. "He was 20 at the time, and since then he was active in politics, never losing an election," added Angelo Di Ianni, now Director of Education and Secretary/Treasurer of the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
"He managed to win," said Minister of Economic Development and Trade Joe Cordiano, "even his last campaign, practically without campaigning." In fact, Agostino developed the first symptoms of his illness last September, and spent a long time hospitalized during the campaign.
He had been representing Hamilton East at Queen's Park since 1995. Despite his illness, Agostino kept busy to the last moment. "He was active even on Wednesday, the day he passed away. In fact," told us a source close to the family, "he stayed lucid until 10 minutes before his death, conversing as usual."
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