ROBERTO TUMMILLO

It is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Roberto Tummillo at the age of 54 after a brave battle with cancer. He was predeceased by his father Antonio Tummillo. Rob is survived by his loving wife Michelle of 30 years; sons Massimo and Milano; fur babies Duke and Daisy; mother Antonietta; mother-in-law Elizabeth (Raymond); brothers Sabino and Gerardo (Sharon); sisters Angelina and Maria; sister-in-law Carrie; nieces Amanda (Rocky), Giordana, Daniela, Melissa, Tianna and Elizabeth; nephews Anthony, Sabino Jr, Marco, Joseph, Joey, Gianluca; and many other dear family, friends and business associates.

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Rob was born in Muro Lucano, Potenza, Italy on August 27, 1968. He immigrated to Canada with his family on October 10, 1976 at the age of 8 and settled into the West End of Winnipeg. He attended Sargent Park School and then Tec Voc High School where he met several lifelong friends.

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Rob had a strong work ethic from a very young age, starting as a paperboy and then working for his brother at Sabino’s Pizza on Notre Dame Ave. Rob worked for Sabino for many years in a variety of roles and establishments where he learned all the facets of managing a hotel.

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In 2014, Rob fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning his own hotel and purchased the Stock Exchange Hotel (aka Lipstixx Experience).  Rob was passionate about building a successful business and was always at the hotel or answering phone calls 24/7.  He was well respected by his employees, vendors and business associates – many of which called him a friend and were devastated by the news of his passing.

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As much as Rob loved running his own business, there was nothing that he loved more than his wife and best friend Michelle that he met in 1989. For Rob, it was love at first sight and he followed her everywhere, asking if he could take her out for dinner. Michelle finally agreed and they had their first date at Grapes on Main where they fell madly in love.

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It wasn’t long before they moved into a small apartment in the North End on Bannerman Ave where they began their humble life together, sleeping on the floor because they didn’t have any furniture. Every payday they bought one piece of furniture and quickly made themselves a home. They moved around a few more times before they settled into their first house in the Maples on Rozmus Bay and it wasn’t long before Rob and Michelle gave birth to their first son Massimo in 2000. They got married in 2002 at the Fort Garry Hotel and had their second son, Milano in 2003.

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After several years of working hard and saving money, they moved into Lindenwoods, then River Park South and finally South Pointe where they bought their dream home and Rob designed a beautiful backyard where friends and family gathered for pool parties and drinks by the fire pit.

Rob started each day by going for a walk with Michelle and Duke, then they went to the gym to work out together. Evenings were spent with family and friends around food and there are many photos of Rob showing his appreciation with a big smile. Rob especially loved romantic dinners with Michelle, buying her flowers, writing her poems, and dancing with her any chance he could get.  Everyone knew Rob loved to dance, especially whenever the Scatman song came on and you got a chance to see his “happy feet” and his incredible amount of energy. He was always the life of the party and there is no shortage of videos where Rob got people to dance with him!

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Rob was a devoted father that loved spending time with his sons teaching them how to build Legos, play boardgames and card games like Uno, ride bikes, camp and fish.  He coached Milano’s soccer team and took Massimo to his basketball games and Taekwondo lessons. 

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Rob also loved his fur babies Duke and Daisy and would take Duke for long daily walks where he would talk to God. Rob even taught himself how to groom Duke by watching hours of YouTube videos, then purchasing a special table and all the proper tools to give him a professional cut that impressed everyone.

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Rob lived life to the fullest and enjoyed traveling with his wife and sons to Mexico, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos to bask in the warm sun with his feet in the sand until the sun set over the beautiful turquoise ocean. So, the next time you watch a sunset over the ocean, say a “cheers” in Rob’s memory.

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Rob was extremely generous and would often lend a helping hand or make care packages of homemade pizza and pasta for people that needed their spirits lifted. Rob opened his home to anyone that needed a place to stay and even lovingly fostered an Indigenous baby named Erin for over a year when Child and Family Services were unable to find her a placement.  So, when the time came for Rob to need care, there were many people that willingly offered to help. The family would like to especially thank Andrew, Aldo, Donna, Janet, Danah, Carrie and Lina who all helped look after Rob when his health declined and Michelle needed to run an errand or take a quick break.

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The family would also like to thank Earl, Johnny, Tracey, Maria, Janet, Danah, and all the wonderful, hard-working and dedicated employees that have helped to keep the business running while Rob and Michelle were focused on his palliative care.

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Gratitude is also expressed for all the homecare workers, palliative care nurses, and staff at CancerCare Manitoba, St. Boniface Hospital and Riverview Health Centre.

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In accordance with Rob’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a formal service will be held at Holy Rosary Church on October 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that you donate to CancerCare Manitoba. 

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Roberto's family kindly requests that all of his friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour his memory by sharing photos, memories, and stories, using the comment section on this page.

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Rest in peace Roberto, we’ll see you on the other side. XO

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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