Antonio Campanaro

Antonio (Tony) Campanaro, 80, passed away in his sleep at home in Chevy Chase, MD on February 17, 2026. Tony was born to Pasquale Campanaro and Michelina Ventura in Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Foggia, Italy on January 20, 1946. Tony was the beloved husband of Teresa Campanaro for 53 years. In addition to his wife, Tony is survived by his daughters, Michela Donohue (Brian) and Giulia McPherson (Joseph) and six grandchildren Sofia, Patrick and Isabella Donohue and Joseph, Rocco, and Maria McPherson. He is also survived by his sisters Rocchina (Antonio DeGirolamo) and Carmela (Leonardo Pompa) and many nieces and nephews. Tony was predeceased by his parents and his sister Concetta (Filippo Farace).

Tony left Castelluccio Valmaggiore at age 14 to pursue work in Bovino, Italy, Interlocken, Switzerland, and Bedford, England before immigrating to the United States in 1967. Tony was a trained barber and quickly settled into his first barbershop in the Tenleytown area of Washington, DC. In 1972, he returned to Castelluccio Valmaggiore to marry his wife, Teresa. They settled in Hyattsville, MD where they raised their daughters for 16 years before moving to Chevy Chase, MD.

In 1988, Tony realized his dream of opening his own barbershop. Tony and Teresa found the perfect location in the Van Ness neighborhood of DC. Here they worked side-by-side for 35 years, with Tony in the barbershop and Teresa in the adjacent room providing alterations. Tony loved serving as a local barber for 55 years. He found great joy and satisfaction in giving a great haircut and in engaging his customers in riveting conversations and debates. When speaking about and referring to work, he would famously say that for him it was a “vacation.”

When not busy in his barbershop, Tony was happily working in and around his home. From laying tile, painting the bedrooms and making homemade wine, to fixing the sink, pruning his fig trees and azaleas and constructing a piece of wood furniture from scratch, Tony was a self-taught “jack of all trades” who tackled all of his projects with energy, creativity, and patience.

A Visitation will be held on February 26, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, located at 3630 Quesada St., NW, Washington, DC.

A Funeral Mass will follow at the same location at 11:00 am. Interment in Castelluccio Valmaggiore, Italy will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Tony’s memory may be made to Catholic Charities DC - https://www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/