Tony 'FlapJack' Crisafulli : June 27, 1938 – January 19, 2015

On Monday January 19th the stock price of the parent company of Luksusowa vodka fell sharply on the news of Tony Crisafulli's passing. The company Board was called to an emergency meeting to deal with the upcoming drop in demand and to mourn the passing of their greatest customer. Throughout his life, whether as a senior Airman in the US Air Force, a supply chain management professional, or even as a school bus driver in his retired years; Tony created many fond memories for fellow servicemen, colleagues, students and families. After his retirement to North Carolina he pursued some of his many hobbies including fishing, gardening, exterior holiday lighting, and sending daily joke emails to family and friends (mostly the latter – ALL IN CAPS usually). Perhaps most important to Tony, second only to showering his family with unconditional love, was educating people on the dangers of progressive liberalism - whether through personally engaging conversation or calling every local talk radio host within 100 miles of Wilmington, NC. Regardless, you know he did it with love and absent any malice; he served and loved this country with all his heart. Tony was a man who would give a stranger the last penny in his pocket regardless of politics, and for his family there were no bounds to his love.

Before going home (way too early in the opinion of many) Tony forged a 76 year trail of memories comprised entirely of laughter, generosity, compassion, and wisdom and his legacy lives on in his sons and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 48 years Songul, his children Mike and Frank, his daughters-in-law Kris and Kim, and his beautiful grandchildren Megan, Dominic, Ashlyn and Ryleigh. While his whole family is deeply saddened by his passing, they ask you celebrate his life and not dwell on the space his death has left in all our hearts. Tony also asked that upon his passing, in lieu of flowers, loved ones and friends donate to The Wounded Warrior Project and cancel any subscriptions to the New York Times and similar publications posing as sources for 'news'.
A private family funeral service will be at 11:00 am Saturday January 24, 2015 at Harrell's Funeral home Chapel. Reverend Ray Mendenhall will officiate.