Antonio “Tony” Colacino was born November 8, 1949, the son of Nicholas and Janice (Olson) Colacino, on Des Moines’s South Side. He grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, attending Sacred Heart School and Dowling High School (‘67). He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1971 and earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1974, graduating second in his class-no small feat considering Tony was married with 3 small children and working overnights at the South Bend airport.

Tony had a distinguished career as an attorney, practicing law for over 25 years with Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave (1974-2000), as a partner at Nyemaster Goode (2001-2016), and again with the Bradshaw firm (2016-2021) where he finished his career. He specialized in real estate law and leaves a legacy of influencing real estate transactions and eminent domain law in Iowa and nationally. He gave back professionally through bar committee work, teaching, and extensive pro bono work; as a member of the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa; as a long-time member and co-chair of the Iowa State Bar Association Legal Forms Committee, drafting widely-used legal forms; as a Fellow of the Iowa Bar Foundation; serving on the Polk-Des Moines Taxpayers Association Board of Directors, the United Way of Central Iowa Board of Directors, and the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute; and-a cause he championed-providing pro bono legal services to the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity for over a decade, where he was honored with their Key Award in 2021 for his great impact on their mission of homeownership.

Tall with a deep, booming voice, Tony cut an imposing figure, physically and metaphorically. He had strong opinions, deeply held convictions, exceptionally high standards and a profound sense of moral justice. He prioritized giving back to his community for causes he valued and he knew how to make things happen. When a tornado hit WDM Little League at Holiday Park, as league president Tony led the rebuilding effort, reconfiguring ball diamonds and fundraising to add modern concessions and batting cages and to replace hundreds of uniforms, as well as working closely with the WDM Parks Department to modernize roads and drainage systems. A gifted athlete, Tony played baseball and football at Dowling, and despite being recruited to play college football, he chose to attend Notre Dame. Sports were a great passion in his life, as an athlete, a coach and a spectator, where above all, Notre Dame football reigned supreme. He had an incredible love for his alma mater, which he instilled in his four children-all of them ND alumni.

At his core, Tony was a family man with a keen sense of humor, huge love of music, and the desire for not much more than visiting with his kids, grandkids, and spoiling their family dogs with ice cream cones and In-N-Out burgers. He delighted in being a grandfather, a role which revealed a “softie” interior behind his stoic, “tough guy” exterior. He’ll be remembered for throwing his head back in great belly laughs, singing along to his favorite songs, and writing multitudes of to-do lists on yellow legal pads, for his lawyerly ability to see all possible sides of any situation, and for his love of Italian food, particularly the Southern Italian specialties of his grandmother.

Tony is survived by his four children: Jana of Glastonbury, CT; Tina (Jay Kerner) of Westlake Village, CA; Nicholas (Joan Oh) of Singapore; and Corie Shupe (Toby) of West Des Moines, IA; seven grandchildren, Elena and Evelyn Murphy of Glastonbury, CT; Max and Julia Shupe of West Des Moines, IA; and Antonio, Luca and Ana Colacino of Singapore; his sister Nicholette Colacino of Des Moines, IA; his brother-in-law Dennis Mitchell of Columbus, OH; and his four Mitchell nephews, their wives, eleven great-nieces and great-nephews, and many cousins.

Tony was preceded in death by his parents and his older sister, Julia Colacino Mitchell. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1627 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines, IA, followed immediately by a luncheon celebration of Tony’s life to which all are welcome. Painfully, Tony spent his last year unable to eat and nothing would make his family happier than to join together sharing food, fellowship, and fond memories in his honor. Tony will be interred at Cedar Grove Cemetery on the campus of his beloved University of Notre Dame, no doubt “shaking down the thunder” at all Notre Dame home games. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Tony’s name to the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com. Arrangements by Iles Dunn's Chapel.

The family wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the Compassus Hospice team for the incredible care and support they provided to Tony and his family during his final year, along with the staff at Cedar Ridge Village.