Tino Pupilli was among local celebrities arrested' for charity in 2002
MR Pizza' Tino Pupilli will be remembered for his charm and cheery manner.
Mr Pupilli died last Thursday, aged 56, after a ten month fight against cancer.
He was brought up in Camerino, a small town on the Adriatic coast in Italy, and trained in front of house skills at a catering school, passing out as the best student.
He came to London in 1974, intending to stay six months but meeting his future wife, Geraldine, while working as a waiter at the Berkley Hotel in Knightsbridge.
The couple married the following year at St John's Church, Devizes and lived in Bath for about four years where Mr Pupilli had a shop selling Italian goods, including leather handbags that he manufactured himself.
The couple lived in Italy for a year where Mr Pupilli paid a chef to teach him to make pizzas.
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They and their young son Mark returned to Devizes and, in 1982, took over the Elm Tree pub from Mrs Pupilli's parents, Harold and Catherine Williams.
Mr Pupilli introduced pasta dishes and a pizza bar to the Elm Tree during their four years at the pub.
He later opened a pizza takeaway in what is now the Chinese takeaway in New Park Street.
After three years at the takeaway, he opened a pizza restaurant and takeaway in what is now Deedar Indian restaurant in Sidmouth Street.
The couple returned to the Elm Tree from 1998 to 2004, which became famous for Mr Pupilli's pizzas.
In January 2005 Mr Pupilli joined the Bear Hotel, Devizes, and cooked and sold pizzas in the Lawrence Room restaurant three evenings a week.
He was a qualified referee and in the late 1980s coached the under 12s and under 11s at Devizes Football Club.
He supported many charity events including jail break', golf days at North Wilts Golf Club and was a guide to servicemen who cycled across Italy for charity in the 1990s.
Mr Pupilli was proud of his children, Mark, now 28, a robotics scientist at Dyson in Malmesbury, and Lucia, 25, an actress and singer.
Mr Pupilli's funeral is on Tuesday at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, St Joseph's Place, Devizes, at 11.30am.
Posted by: Abigail, Aberdeen on 5:36pm Mon 24 Mar 08
I've known Tino on and off for many years. My brother, Andrew Quinn, adored Tino, as did I, and it had nothing (well not much) to do with his pizzas. It was his big laugh and even bigger heart that had us hooked and all who met him. On behalf of Andrew and myself, I send love to his family and much love and respect to Tino xx[italic]italic[/italic]
I've known Tino on and off for many years. My brother, Andrew Quinn, adored Tino, as did I, and it had nothing (well not much) to do with his pizzas. It was his big laugh and even bigger heart that had us hooked and all who met him. On behalf of Andrew and myself, I send love to his family and much love and respect to Tino xx
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