Anthony Joseph "Tony" Romano

Anthony Joseph Romano was born on August 17, 1958, in Kansas City, Missouri, which would be his home for all 66 years of life. On April 13, 2025, Anthony passed away peacefully with his beloved wife of 34 years, Elizabeth, by his side.

Tony, as he was affectionately known by many, will be dearly missed by his 5 children, Ellen, Nick, Anna, Emma, and Isabelle; his two loving sisters Nina and Cathy; and so many more family and friends that were lucky to share in his life.

We are comforted knowing that Tony is reunited with his father, Cosimo Romano, who Tony often and proudly spoke of as his hero and greatest inspiration in life. Tony also joins his devoted mother Catherine Romano, who loved her son with all of her soul.

Tony was a self made man. He grew up in a middle class neighborhood in Raytown, Missouri and was fiercely proud to be the son of first generation Italian immigrants. He became the first member of his family to graduate college, graduated 3rd in his class at Washburn Law School, and landed a job as an associate attorney at the Polsinelli law firm.

Tony’s legal career flourished and he received many accolades throughout his career. However, what he was most known for was how he interacted with others. He enjoyed mentoring younger attorneys and treasured his time with his own mentors. His feisty personality helped him earn the reputation as a highly respected trial attorney, never losing a jury trial in his career. He cared greatly for his clients, taking time to get to know them beyond their legal cases and remained close friends with many long after their need for legal representation. After 29 years at Polsinelli, Tony joined the firm Littler Mendelson. He worked at Littler for the remainder of his career and cherished the friendships and support he received throughout his battle with illness.

The law was Tony’s calling but his true passion in life was his family. To know Tony was to know his family because it was his favorite thing to talk about, sometimes to a fault. He was totally and completely dedicated to his wife and children. His happiness and purpose in life was derived from protecting and supporting them in everything he did. We will miss the love he so generously poured into our lives the most. Our hearts are broken, but he will live with us forever. 

Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2:30pm on Wednesday, April 16th, at St. Thomas More Church, 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO. Interment following at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at Hallbrook Country Club, 11200 Overbrook Rd., Leawood, KS 66211, following the interment from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, PO Box 22324, New York, NY 10087, The Parkinsons Foundation, 5757 Waterford District Drive, Suite 310, Miami, FL 33126, or Kansas City Hospice House,  12000 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145.