It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Giovanni Petitti who passed away peacefully at the age of 87 at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on November 2nd, 2026.

Giovanni was born in Faeto, Foggia on March 17th, 1939. He grew up with his parents Giuseppe and Giuseppina and his siblings Domenico, Mario, Maria, Antonietta, and Gerardo. Giovanni proudly served in the Italian army. In his youth, he loved to play cards which became a family tradition once he came to Canada. He also enjoyed going to watch soccer matches with his brothers and friends.

Giovanni immigrated to Canada in 1966 and settled in Scarborough, Ontario. In 1972, he met his cherished wife Elena. In three months, they became engaged and got married and their special love lasted over 54 beautiful years. They were blessed with two children, Pina (John) and Alberto (Ema), whom he adored and his joys were his granddaughters Andraya, Lisa and Rose. His eyes twinkled each time he was surrounded by his family, especially his granddaughters who knew that he always had a toonie for them hiding somewhere. Giovanni was surrounded by a large and loving family and he will be missed by his siblings, their families, and his many nieces and nephews.

Giovanni was an avid and skilled gardener planting so many different varieties of fruit and vegetables that his family, neighbours and friends loved to enjoy. His front yard was the envy of the neighbourhood with all the beautiful plants, colourful flowers and trees he planted and tended to. He was a fantastic barbecuer who built his own barbecue which he attested made the best food and was incomparable to anything else he used. He frequently ventured out on Saturday morning grocery shopping trips, coming home with new foods to try with his family. Throughout his life, Giovanni took pride in his work, from his early days at Fiat in Turin, Italy, to Miller Paving in Pickering, where he fixed heavy machinery and handled snow removal. He later retired from the maintenance department at Toronto General Hospital. Giovanni had a sharp mind for crossword puzzles and always had a pen in hand ready for the next puzzle. Above all, he had a generous heart and loved nothing more than stepping up to help others voluntarily.

Giovanni had a playful attitude and his sense of humour was legendary. He liked to share riddles and always had a joke up his sleeve. He was a fabulous storyteller and his smile and laughter were infectious. Giovanni was truly loved by everyone who knew him and he will be dearly missed.

We are eternally grateful to the many people who supported Giovanni and a special thank you is extended to Dr. Arumugam, Charu and Dr. Vera.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada which was a charity Giovanni supported for decades.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 4, from 4 pm - 8 pm and on Thursday, November 5 from 9 am - 10 am at the Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, (one block East of Kerr Street). Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2026 at Saint Matthew Roman Catholic Church, 1150 Monk's Passage, Oakville at 10:30 am. Entombment to follow at Prospect Cemetery.