Father, husband, son, brother, uncle, grandson, friend, accomplished mortgage broker, barbecue champion, and lover of adventures: Michael Ignazio Chiarotto passed away peacefully on the morning of October 20th, 2020 surrounded by his loving family.

He is survived by his wife and Warrior-Queen, Marlene, whose love has never faltered since they were teenagers. She wore Michael’s MPSJ Team Captain football jacket with pride. Marlene’s dedication to her family and her unwavering resolution helped carry Michael through over 11 years of cancer treatments; their two beautiful children, Sophia Grace and John Franco, who have inherited their dad’s enormous strength, wit, and sense of humour; They will carry these gifts with them throughout life. His parents, Frank and Rosanne, who beamed with pride and joy as they witnessed Michael realize his every dream and live his life to the fullest; his slightly less handsome, adoring brother, and travel partner on every adventure, Jamie; his twice sister-in-law, Lorraine; his nephews, affectionately nicknamed Seabass (Samuel Ignazio) and GTB (Gabriel Michael) by their godfather and their namesake, Zio Michael; his sisters-in-law, Stacie/ “Chee-eese” (fiancée, Matt) and Dianne/ “Stwetch”; his in-laws, David and Edith; and his grandmother, Nonna Teresa. Finally, Michael is survived by his many, many extended family members and friends who will undoubtedly remember his “majestic” beard (that’s a direct quote from a stranger on the street) and how he filled every room with his larger than life personality.

Michael will also be fondly remembered as the Pitmaster of Jack9 BBQ, his award-winning BBQ team, and the host of the annual and very exclusive Meatfest (if you know, you know).

Michael kicked cancer’s ass and was an inspiration to us all for his strength, his incredible sense of humour, and his absolute refusal to be defined by a diagnosis. He will remain a force in our hearts forever.

If you were lucky enough to be close with Michael, then you know he wouldn’t want you to cry for him. Instead, he’d want you to raise a glass and celebrate him. And “No Hollywoods allowed”!

Given the current circumstances, Michael’s family will be holding a private service. However, stay tuned for details of an epic Celebration of Michael’s Life in 2021.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either The Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care or The North York Harvest Food Bank.