Antonio Manuel Pimentel Morgado

Hampton Falls - Antonio Manuel Pimentel Morgado passed away peacefully on Friday, March 7th 2025. He is survived by his wife, Isabel Maria Morgado, his son, Tony Morgado, his grandchildren Jack, Miguel, Alex and Amber as well as his large extended family with many siblings, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his daughter, Elizabeth Ann Morgado, his father, Francisco Morgado, his mother Maria Rosario Morgado, his brother, Floriano Morgado and his sister in law Ann Marie Morgado. Born on March 25th 1952 in the small village of Lagoa, Sao Miguel, Azores, Tony was raised to be a hard worker. He went to school until the 3rd grade, when he took on his responsibility to help feed his family. Tony would gift his teacher eggs and chicken to pay for his absence, as Portugal did not have laws pertaining to school attendance at this time. His father owned their own farm land that required constant attention. Among other crops and cattle, they mainly grew corn, sugar, tobacco and wheat. During harvest time, Tony took to the fields. Accompanied by his little sister Maria, Tony would arrive at the wheat field “before the birds woke up” to tend to his family's crop. He was always an innovator, creating a security system to scare off birds composed of rope, bells and wooden stakes. “We went to work in the moonlight, and we came home in the moonlight”. -Maria Elias (Tony's little sister and helper). Tony eventually went on to earn a high school diploma after 4 months of night school in the United States. When Tony was 16, his family immigrated to the United States in pursuit of a better life. When the Morgado family arrived in New Bedford in 1968, they went straight to work. Tony and his siblings took a job in a garment factory, working during the day and then taking on a second shift at another factory at night. He also worked as a dish washer and alter boy at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church in New Bedford during this time. There was no time for pleasure. Sleeping for around 3-4 hours at night, Tony used as much time as possible to work towards a better life and the American Dream. When Tony turned 18, he entered his career in construction. Shortly after he met and married his wife, Isabel and they had their first child, Elizabeth Morgado. With the responsibility of a wife and child, Tony and his brother Floriano took on a union job working for Perina Construction. Traveling the east coast to work on large scale commercial projects, Tony and Floriano helped to build the Logan airport we know today, as well as subway tunnels in Virginia and Washington D.C.. In 1976, Tony and family moved to Seabrook NH during the construction of the nuclear power plant. Tony worked the night shift as a shift boss foreman drilling and blasting the tunnels beneath the power plant. During the day, Tony and Floriano started their business “Morgado Brothers”, performing hot top paving, masonry and landscaping services. With his work ethic and values to provide an honest and complete job, Tony and his family quickly grew their business and financial portfolio. Purchasing businesses and properties around the Seacoast area and employing people from many walks of life. In 1984, one year after making the leap to work for himself full time, Tony fulfilled one of his dreams to own a restaurant in the Azores. He purchased and started Tony’s restaurant in Furnas, Sao Miguel, his wife’s home village. Tony employed one of his good friends, Antonio Jose Aruda, from Sao Miguel and eventually made him a partner in the restaurant. Their relationship began as Tony's taxi driver. Tony’s restaurant has since won many awards and is even featured in many articles, showcasing traditional Azorean style plates. In 1979, Tony and Isabel gave birth to their son, Tony Jr.. “Big Tony” wanted his son and daughter to carry the same values he learned. Instilling the same work ethic on Tony Jr. from a young age, he followed in the same steps as his father and grandfather before him, beginning his construction career at the age of 7. Tony Jr. now owns and operates Morgado Construction LLC in Hampton Falls. Elizabeth would spend her summers and after school hours working for the family, whether it was running the front desk at their discount store or working at their nursery on route 1 in Hampton Falls. During his career, Tony employed hundreds of people. Like his father before him, Tony built his empire on blood, sweat and tears (literally). He brought many families from Sao Miguel here to the United States to work, and is responsible for the large Portuguese community here in coastal New Hampshire. Tony and his wife Isabel influenced many families and helped countless people, whether it be financial troubles or just an ear to talk to. If you ask anyone who knew him about Tony Morgado, they will tell you he was a comical man. He could make a joke out of anything, and make you laugh on your saddest day. Tony loved working. That's when he truly was happiest. Providing a service for people and being able to give his family anything they could wish for was his passion and dream. He also loved taking trips back to Portugal, often visiting several times a year. He would bring with him bicycles, suitcases of clothing, TVs, guitars, and really anything he could get past customs, just to give them out to people in the streets of his village. He was truly idolized by the locals of his island. He also loved to surround himself and his family with an abundance of food. If you visited Tony and Isabels home, you were not allowed to leave hungry or thirsty. He cherished the time he had with his grandchildren. As his oldest grandson, I can tell you that we were all blessed for the time we had with him. He would often let me drive around and copilot for him while he would meet with his customers and checked in on his guys on open projects. I also wanted to follow in his footsteps, starting a masonry business with his help and wisdom at the age of 20. “Where would I be today without my grandfather?” is something I ask myself often. If there is something to learn from Antonio Morgados life; it is to work as hard as possible and to provide for your family. Everyday throughout his life, he took every opportunity he had and pushed himself as far as he could go. He leaves behind with us the values and work ethic that were instilled in him, and taught us to care for our family and friends with everything we have. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, and never forgotten. Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Tony for a period of visitation on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home - Crematory, 811 Lafayette Road, Hampton, NH 03842. Funeral will take place immediately following the visitation at 12:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Burial to follow at Hillside Cemetery, Seabrook, NH at 1:00 p.m.

Antonio Manuel Pimentel Morgado

March 25, 1952 - March 7, 2025