Agatha (Colantoni) McCauley

Agatha (Colantoni) McCauley died peacefully on January 16, 2022, surrounded by family members and in the care of the loving staff at Amber Woods. Throughout her life, Aggie looked at every person through eyes filled with kindness, happiness, and wit.

Aggie instilled in her children that “family is everything” and showed them how to love with intensity and generosity. Family extended well beyond her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren—which of course included siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and all of their children. She made her many friends feel like family, too, cooking for them, talking (and laughing) for hours, and giving wise advice.

She grew up in a family of good and generous people. Although she and her brother, Henry, lost their mother, Edvige, when they were young, their father, Egidio, could rely on close relatives in McKees Rocks to raise them as their own. When Egidio married Antonina Calvo, Cora and Theresa became their adored younger sisters.

Aggie met Bob McCauley in Mt. Washington, fell in love, married, and raised five children. The McCauley kids remember Aggie as one of the funniest people they knew, soft-hearted but also very smart (too smart to fool, no matter how they tried). Aggie chided them about working too hard, but her dedication to the Office of Research mission at the University of Pittsburgh set the standard. She often headed home late on the streetcar, having stayed to work on “just one more thing” or attend night classes in pursuit of an undergraduate degree in History.

Several years after Bob died, Aggie moved to Cloverleaf Estates in Carnegie. It was hard to leave the best-imaginable neighbors on Windermere Avenue in Dormont, but she knew she needed to downsize. At Cloverleaf and nearby Clinton Wesleyan Church, Aggie made wonderful friends and was one of the go-to people for organizing events or helping anyone in need. She became closer to God during this time, through Bible study, singing in the choir, and learning more about injustice, including the experiences of Native Americans.

Agatha is survived by her children, Robert (Lyne), Kathy (Andrew Washburn), Terry Ankeny (Tim), Lisa, and Mark (Liz); her grandchildren, Maureen Washburn (Gokul Dhingra) and Bennett Washburn; Bob, Tim (Brie), Sean, Danny, and Brian McCauley; Casey McCauley; Ashlea Reed, and Taylor and Devin McCauley; her great grandson Henry Dhingra; her siblings Henry (Rose) Colantoni and Theresa (Rick) Lavezoli; and her beloved nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents Egidio and Edvige Colantoni, and stepmother Antonina Colantoni; her husband, Robert; and her sister, Cora (Joe) Giangreco;

Aggie’s family is deeply grateful to Dr. David Pasquale, the staff at Amber Woods in Harmarville, and the hospice nurses of Amedisys.

There will be no visitation. Interment private. A memorial will be scheduled for Spring 2022.  Arrangements entrusted to the Brusco-Falvo Funeral Home, Inc.  214 Virginia Ave., Mt Washington (412-381-2323). Shared memories posted to this site’s tribute wall are welcome and greatly appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Virginia Fallon Scholarship, Community College of Allegheny County Educational Foundation, Byers Hall Room 102, 808 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.