Caldarone

Nicola Caldarone, born 1938 in Ari, Abruzzo (Chieti), and Maria Rosa Policelli, born 1943 in Roseto Valfortore, Puglia (Foggia), had come from small farming villages in different parts of Italy when they met in Dartford, England in 1962. The two spoke virtually no English when they first arrived but with support of family and friends, they thrived and began a life together, marrying in 1963. Nicola worked as a mechanic while Rosa was an assistant hospital nurse. They soon started a family.

In 1969, they immigrated to Canada along with their two boys, settling in west-end Toronto where a third son was born. Rosa’s father, Nicola Policelli, had travelled regularly in the 1910s, 20s, and 30s to work in Toronto and other parts of Ontario, though always returned to his beloved Roseto. However, a number of his children would make their way to Toronto and vicinity permanently in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, including Rosa. Nicola Caldarone’s brother Emilio also immigrated to Toronto along with his wife Carmela, Rosa’s sister. Together, they all supported one another.

Nicola and Rosa found success in their adopted homeland while maintaining Italian cultural traditions and always finding time to spend with their siblings and their families, both in Canada and Italy. Their boys grew up with many cousins, uncles, and aunts as part of a vibrant Italian-Canadian community. Nicola and Rosa exemplify the importance of hard work, determination, and family for their sons and their spouses, and for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.