Francesco and Celestra Colacurcio (Colarch)

Dates:

Francesco (Frank) Colacurcio (AKA Colarch): b. Italy, 25 October 1857 d. 18 May 1929

Celestra Colarurcio (AKA Colarch): b. Italy, circa 1853 d. 20 April 1930

Emilio Colarch (AKA Neil Colarch): b. Italy, 18 December 1887; d. 12 April 1977

Aida Gallicano Colarch: b. Donald, B.C. 26 July 1896; d. 15 March 1989

Cemetery Location:

Francesco and Celestra Colacurcio: Block J, Row 24, Plots 13 & 14

Neil and Aida Colarch: Block J, Row 27, Plot 11

Profiles:

(from left) Neil Colarch, Ruby Rutherford, Estelle and Earle Dickey, and Sandy and Annie Fleming, c.1939.

Francesco and Celestra Colacurcio (also known as Colarch) came to Canada from Italy in the 1880s, and settled in Revelstoke in 1899. Francesco worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway for many years, and later conducted a business on the corner of Third Street East and Railway Avenue.

Their son Emilio (known as Neil Colarch) was born in Italy, and was a child when the family came to Revelstoke. He worked for Robinson’s sawmill, and then for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He became a partner with the McKinnon brothers in their cigar store and pool hall at 111 First Street West, and later took over the business.

Emilio Colacurcio married Aida Gallicano on September 9, 1924. Aida was born in Donald, B.C. in 1896, the daughter of Dominic Gallicano and Henrietta DeFeo. She came to Revelstoke with her family around 1899, where her father opened a bakery and grocery store.

The Colacurcio family’s angel headstone is one of only two of its type in Mountain View Cemetery.