Obituary of Claudio Monteiro Bello

Claudio Monteiro Bello, dedicated father, son and loving friend, born July 3, 1953, passed away on December 14, 2021, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Claudio was born in Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil to Jefferson Monteiro and Zilda Vianna. He immigrated to the United States, where he started his family and built an incredible life for himself, surrounded by amazing friends, clients and of course, his children. A hairdresser by trade, Claudio built many relationships and touched each of his clients lives on a personal level. Anyone who met Claudio immediately fell in love with his tenacity for life, and so it only seems fitting to use their remembrances to describe what a truly incredible human being he was. In the words of his family and friends, Claudio was incredibly compassionate, a spirit full of love and celebration for life. Known for his extravagant house parties where costumes were always encouraged, he was an elaborate host, bringing people together to feel the spark of life as they celebrated every occasion. Claudio inspired, supported, and advocated for many in the LGBTQ community with his warmth and guidance. He offered his light as guidance to others who may have struggled with their identities as he fully embraced his own. Of course, nothing meant more to him than his children, which was evident with everything he did in his life. His love was amplified by the special connection he had with his daughter, Vanessa. Her relentless spirit stood by his side through years of treatments, doctor's appointments and it never wavered all the way to the end, as she fought alongside him to give him as much life as possible. She will truly be lost without her best friend. Claudio was also a surrogate father to many others who may have lacked that compassion in their own lives and had a way of making others feel like family. His loss is felt immensely in the lives of everyone who had the honor of knowing him. His memory will live in the hearts of so many who had the great pleasure of being in his presence, and those memories are eternal. Survived by his greatest joys, Jefferson (Chizuru) Bello and Vanessa Bello, and his grandchildren, Natalie Anne and Ian Shota. Viewing and Services will be held at City View Mortuary, on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, from 4:00pm - 8:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at 2:30pm on Thursday, December 23, 2021, at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, followed by a graveside service.