Name: Philip C. Martorano Life Dates: 4/12/1958 - 5/10/2012 City Of Birth: Rochester, NY Pre-deceased by Parents, Charles and Minnie Martorano History Phil is survived by his loving and devoted wife Mirella; her children Matthew Marc Cataldi; aunt; cousins and many dear friends. Donations In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to Lakeshore Community Church, 3651 Latta Rd., Rochester, NY 14612 in Phil's memory. Services Phil's visitation will be Monday 2-4 7-9 at the Funeral Home, 1411 Vintage Lane (between 390 Long Pond Rd.). Phil's funeral Service will be celebrated Tuesday 10 AM at Lakeshore Community Church, immediately followed by his Entombment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Additional Information Philip Martorano was a man who didn't know the meaning of the word "small." Everything he did was on a large scale, from his overflowing refrigerator, pantry and freezer to his lifelong fascination with history and politics and his boundless generosity. Most of all, though, he had a big heart. He had so much love to give, and he spent his life taking care of his students, his friends, and, most of all, his beloved family. Phil was born on April 12, 1958, to proud parents Charles and Minnie Martorano. Although he was born in Rochester, New York, Phil spent most of his childhood in Gates, New York. Charles supported his family working in maintenance at a nearby apartment complex, while Minnie was a homemaker. She was quite artistic, and was famous for making the "best pies ever." As a child, Phil looked forward to family vacations spent at the Shady Shores Campground in Fairhaven, NY. As Phil grew into a teenager, he discovered a passion for music. He loved listening to the mellow tunes of Steely Dan, Carole King, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he himself played three instruments: clarinet, keyboard and saxophone. He shared these interests with his best friends, Rick Campbell, Dan Larabee, Greg Cass and Dan Ruebens. The guys were all friends in high school, and remain close to this day. After Phil's graduation from Gates Chili High School in 1976 ,he decided to serve his country by joining the Air Force. He was stationed in Italy, where he served honorably for the following four years, until 1984. Back in the states, Phil enjoyed buying and re-selling antiques. This hobby eventually turned into a career, when he and his father opened the Treasure Island Antique Store. He then went on to get his bachelor's degree and began teaching as a history teacher at John Marshall High School in Rochester, NY. He also taught for a time in Virginia. Phil loved learning about the past, especially political and military history, and shared this joy with his students. He was a voracious reader, and always had a book or two about history or theology near to hand. In addition to teaching, Phil also continued his own education, earning his master's degree from Brockport College in 2001. In 2005, Phil moved back to Rochester in order to be closer to his father, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Despite the sadness of this time, Phil found new joy in life through his friendship with Mirella, whom he met in 2006. Phil and Mirella met on the Wednesday before Mother's Day. Mirella was immediately impressed with Phil's warmth and kindness: upon meeting Mirella and her family, he embraced her two sons, Matthew and Marc. Their relationship gradually deepened, and on June 14, 2008, Phil and Mirella were married at Golden Ponds Restaurant. Phil loved married life, and treated Mirella's sons as his own, especially Marc, who lived at home. He encouraged Marc to follow his dreams, and was supportive of his performances in plays and musicals. He and Mirella enjoyed traveling, with destinations including Cape Cod, Boston, NYC, Bermuda, and Hawaii. No matter where Phil went, he never took a break from his fascination with history - when the couple was in NYC, they spent the whole five days in museums! At home, Phil enjoyed going out with friends and shopping. He was extremely generous, and when he was part of a group no one else ever had a hope of picking up the tab. If he saw something in a store that he knew others would enjoy, he always bought a big package to share. He was equally generous with his feline companions, and spoiled his cats - Burglar, Max, and Chico - shamelessly. Tragically, in recent years Phil was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the inevitable physical suffering associated with the disease, Phil remained active and emotionally upbeat. He and Mirella joined the Lakeshore Community Church, where they were very active in community groups. Phil turned his inexhaustible zeal for learning to theology, and was pursuing a degree at the Northeastern Seminary of Roberts Wesleyan College. Phil devoted his hands and his heart to the church, and no job was too tedious for him to take on: he even vacuumed the whole church from top to bottom. Phil also remained close to friends and family during this difficult time, especially his beloved Mirella. His favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, and shortly before his death his friends gathered together to give Phil one last turkey dinner. Generous, thoughtful, and kind-hearted, Phil was a wonderful husband, a loving step-father, and a true friend. He will be deeply missed by his many dear friends and family members. Philip Martorano went home to Heaven on May 10, 2012, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Minnie Martorano. He is survived by his devoted and caring wife, Mirella; her children, Matthew and Marc; an aunt; several cousins; and many friends. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m., Monday, at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane (between Rte 390 Long Pond Rd). A Christian funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at Lakeshore Community Church, 3651 Latta Road, Rochester, NY 14612. Following his service, his entombment will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Philip's memory with a donation to Lakeshore Community Church, 3651 Latta Road, Rochester, NY 14612. Please visit Phil's personal memory page at www.aliferemembered.com, where you can learn more about his life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.