Obituary of Cosmo Luigi Ali

Cosmo L Ali passed away Sunday, November 14, 2021, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Nardo di Pace, Calabria, Italy to Vicenzo and Giuseppina Ali, Cosmo was the fourth of seven children. In 1966 he wandered into a local shoe store and fell instantly in love with the shopkeeper’s daughter Anna, his soul mate. They soon married and ventured to Montreal where they had their beautiful daughters, Pina and Loreta. 

In 1970, the family followed Cosmo’s brother, Damiano, and his family, to Tucson, Arizona. Here, they worked together to open Paisano's Pizzeria, marking the start of the true American dream as each was able to later open their own establishments. Through his and Anna’s hard work ethic, the two opened the iconic Italian restaurant, Da Vinci Ristorante on Fort Lowell Rd in 1974. For 28 years, Cosmo’s charm and generosity filled the restaurant and his customers’ hearts, while his legendary desserts, from Pope’s Pillow to Bidonata, filled their bellies. With tattered journals filled with family recipes and traveling across countries, Cosmo also mastered techniques of formulating sauces and later transformed these to create innovative dishes, such as Pollo Toscanini, to entice each taste bud. 

Nothing mattered more to Cosmo than family. In 55 years, he never spent even a day apart from his beloved Anna. Together they devoted retirement to cherishing their grandchildren in every pursuit and accomplishment. The love language Cosmo knew best was cooking. With his grandchildren by his side, he would spend hours curing salami, preserving olives, and rolling gnocchi.

Anyone who knew Cosmo was touched by his kindness, and warmed by the twinkle in his eyes. A legacy that lives on in his family. He is survived by his wife Anna, daughter Pina (Fedele), daughter Loreta, and grandchildren Vanessa, Fedele-Luca, Micaela, and Katrina.

There will be a visitation and rosary held on Sunday, November 21, 2021 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, the rosary beginning at 3:00 pm at Adair Funeral Home 8090 N Northern Ave, Oro Valley, AZ 85704. Mass will be held Monday, November 22, 2021 at 10:00 am at St. Thomas Parish 5150 N Valley View Rd, Tucson, AZ 85718. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to help Cosmo’s grand-nephew, who has infantile cerebral palsy. With limited and costly treatment methods in Italy, these donations would support Andrea immensely, fulfill Cosmo’s heartfelt wish, and would be greatly appreciated. The Go-Fund me link is as follows: https://gofund.me/cfa66166  , and can also be found on the family’s social media.

His niece in Italy writes “Caro Zio… un esempio de grande umanita, di altruismo, di generosita. Grazie” [Dear Uncle… an example of great humanity, altruism, and generosity. Thank you.]

Cosmo L Ali passed away Sunday, November 14, 2021, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Nardo di Pace, Calabria, Italy to Vicenzo and Giuseppina Ali, Cosmo was the fourth of seven children. In 1966 he wandered into a local shoe store and fell instantly in love with the shopkeeper’s daughter Anna, his soul mate. They soon married and ventured to Montreal where they had their beautiful daughters, Pina and Loreta. 

In 1970, the family followed Cosmo’s brother, Damiano, and his family, to Tucson, Arizona. Here, they worked together to open Paisano's Pizzeria, marking the start of the true American dream as each was able to later open their own establishments. Through his and Anna’s hard work ethic, the two opened the iconic Italian restaurant, Da Vinci Ristorante on Fort Lowell Rd in 1974. For 28 years, Cosmo’s charm and generosity filled the restaurant and his customers’ hearts, while his legendary desserts, from Pope’s Pillow to Bidonata, filled their bellies. With tattered journals filled with family recipes and traveling across countries, Cosmo also mastered techniques of formulating sauces and later transformed these to create innovative dishes, such as Pollo Toscanini, to entice each taste bud. 

Nothing mattered more to Cosmo than family. In 55 years, he never spent even a day apart from his beloved Anna. Together they devoted retirement to cherishing their grandchildren in every pursuit and accomplishment. The love language Cosmo knew best was cooking. With his grandchildren by his side, he would spend hours curing salami, preserving olives, and rolling gnocchi.

Anyone who knew Cosmo was touched by his kindness, and warmed by the twinkle in his eyes. A legacy that lives on in his family. He is survived by his wife Anna, daughter Pina (Fedele), daughter Loreta, and grandchildren Vanessa, Fedele-Luca, Micaela, and Katrina.

There will be a visitation and rosary held on Sunday, November 21, 2021 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, the rosary beginning at 3:00 pm at Adair Funeral Home 8090 N Northern Ave, Oro Valley, AZ 85704. Mass will be held Monday, November 22, 2021 at 10:00 am at St. Thomas Parish 5150 N Valley View Rd, Tucson, AZ 85718. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to help Cosmo’s grand-nephew, who has infantile cerebral palsy. With limited and costly treatment methods in Italy, these donations would support Andrea immensely, fulfill Cosmo’s heartfelt wish, and would be greatly appreciated. The Go-Fund me link is as follows: https://gofund.me/cfa66166  , and can also be found on the family’s social media.

His niece in Italy writes “Caro Zio… un esempio de grande umanita, di altruismo, di generosita. Grazie” [Dear Uncle… an example of great humanity, altruism, and generosity. Thank you.]

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