Carlo Cattarello Funeral

A Royal Canadian Legion honour guard stood quietly at attention in the noonday sun Thursday as the flag-draped casket with the body of Carlo Cattarello Sr. left St. Joachim’s church for the last time.
Cattarello died in Timmins on Sunday. He was 95. Cattarello was well-known across the North and throughout Canada as a gifted athlete, coach and mentor.
A Catholic mass was celebrated by Deacon Michel Néron of St. Joachim’s Parish and Father Mitch Sliwa of Sacred Heart Parish. Music and hymns during the mass were sung by Chantal Delorme of Timmins.
During a brief sermon, Deacon Néron mentioned he was more than impressed with Cattarello.
“What a man. What a life,” said Néron adding that “If we could only live as fully as he did, what a change we could make in this world.”
A eulogy was presented by Cattarello’s longtime friend and associate Terry Talentino of North Bay who described him as a man who never sought out awards or honours but was bestowed with many. Talentino, who is also exceedingly well-known in the Canadian hockey community, praised Cattarello for demonstrating the best of sportsmanship
“He taught us how to win with grace, to lose with dignity and always to respect others,” Talentino said.
“He really cared about the people and the community he lived in,” he added.
Talentino said he could sum up Cattarello’s life in one word – respect, saying Cattarello gave it and earned it.
He also recalled that Cattarello had taught him long ago the value of coaching and mentoring and working with young people, telling him “If you only touch one person in your life you’ve accomplished something.”
As the mass came to a close, a final piece of music was played; Pavarotti’s stirring version of the hymn Panis Angelicus (The Bread of Angels).