Antonio de Freitas Caiafa
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Antonio de Freitas Caiafa, 73, passed away peacefully in Rowlett, Texas, on December 8, 2020. Antonio was born the ninth child of Jos? Antonio Caiafa and Isabel de Freitas Caiafa, on October 4, 1947, in Rio Pomba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Known by many affectionate nicknames - Tony, Pai Tony, Tio Toninho, Titonim, and perhaps his favorite Vovo - Antonio leaves to his family and many friends around the world a legacy of incredible memories, filled with joy, laughter, kindness, generosity, and much love. He was rich in spirit and absolutely devoted to his family, with a special place in his heart for his grandchildren Lucca, Levi, Alba, and recent addition Maya, whom he so looked forward to meeting in person. He was a prolific cook, a gifted classical pianist, a Brazilian music enthusiast, a lover of musical theatre and opera, and had a strong interest in Biblical history. Beyond his great talents, Antonio was a world traveler and, from a young age, deeply curious about learning new languages. While in high school in Brazil, he won a scholarship and spent a year in Michigan as an exchange student, learning and perfecting his English. He then earned his Bachelor's in Linguistics from Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro, before starting his life-long teaching career. It was also in Rio that he met his Danish wife, Emy (Gigge) - they went on to live in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Houston, Texas, before settling back in Brazil for a long stint in Bras?lia, where they raised their three sons. During this time, he became a professor at the University of Bras?lia, while also owning and operating a travel agency - successfully combining his love of languages and travel. Antonio then earned a Master's degree in Linguistics from the University of Southern Denmark, before starting a decade-plus career with the U.S. State Department, where he taught Brazilian Portuguese and culture at the Foreign Services Institute. In recent weeks, ever the adventurer, Antonio had joyfully started planning a trip to visit the Caiafa family's ancestral homeland in Italy, even starting to brush up on his Italian. He was to be accompanied by members of his extended Caiafa clan in Brazil, many of whom he interacted with through phone calls and social media almost daily. Antonio is survived by his loving wife, Emy (Gigge) Maryann Schmidt Caiafa; sons: Mikkel Schmidt Caiafa and wife Lauren, Stefan Schmidt Caiafa and partner Fernando, Marco Schmidt Caiafa and wife Kathryn; grandchildren: Lucca, Levi, Alba, and Maya. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jos? and Isabel Caiafa; his godmother Julieta "Tia Leleta" Caiafa; and siblings Jos? Caiafa Filho, Euclydes de Freitas Caiaffa, Martinho Afonso Caiafa, Terezinha de Freitas Caiafa, N?lia de Freitas Caiafa, Donato Silvio Caiaffa, and Maria Ignes Caiafa Caetano. He is survived by siblings Mariana Caiafa Ferreira and Maria Elizabeth Caiafa. To honor Antonio's memory, his wife, sons, and their families intend to travel to Brazil to lay his ashes to rest in Rio Pomba. May God bless him and receive him in peace. The funeral service will be held at Rest Haven Funeral Home at 2500 Highway 66 in Rockwall, Texas 75087 on Sunday, December 20th, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. All are invited to attend. Both flowers and memorial donations made to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org are welcome.