Following his drowning death on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in the Niagara River not far from his Ricardo St. home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, tributes to Kekoo Gatta have flooded social media.
The Brock Jr. Badgers, an organization with which Gatta was instrumental in its success for many years, wrote that they would miss his drive for perfection and generous spirit in a Facebook post. Similarly, the NOTL Youth Collective wrote that he would be missed by the lucky youth and volunteers who had the privilege to work with him through its after-school program in the past year.
And Wrestling Canada Lutte, the national sport governing body for Olympic-style wrestling, posted on its website that they were saddened to learn of Gatta’s passing, recognizing his involvement with the Ontario wrestling community as mentor, coach and leader.
Gatta’s 27-year-old twin daughters Syrina and Farrantina Gatta tell The Local that since news broke of their father’s death there has been a steady stream of visitors to the family’s Old Town home.
“The house has not been empty once,” says Syrina. “Everybody loved him so much, they’re coming here to pay their respect” to his family, including his wife Farrah, and in addition to the girls, his sons Cyrus (29) Freddy (25) and Zubin (18).
Adds Farrantina, “The day after it happened, just through word of mouth, we had probably 200 people at the house at one point.”
Through his many years running Gatta Homes, his involvement in wrestling with Brock University, St. Paul Catholic and recently Eden High Schools, and his contributions to many non-profit organizations, Kekoo Gatta touched the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands in the Niagara region.
The well-known homebuilder was born in Lira, Uganda to Mani and Minoo Gatta, Zoroastrian Persian immigrants to that country. He was the second child of the mechanic and Montessori teacher, after older sister Mahroukh and before younger siblings Rohinton and Jeannie.
In 1972, shortly after notorious dictator Idi Amin came to power in Uganda, the family fled the country and settled in Mumbai, India. Four years later they joined Mani’s sister Gavi in Thorold, Ontario.
Gatta’s love for wrestling began when he was a student at Thorold Secondary School.
“His coach Tom Sills was so influential to him,” says Farrantina. “He couldn’t afford wrestling shoes so Tom would help him out. He would pay for his tournaments and buy him burgers at McDonalds too. He said Tom kept him on the straight and narrow, kept him off the streets.”
In his final year of high school, Gatta won a silver medal at the National championships.
After graduating Gatta followed in his father’s footsteps and became a licensed mechanic. Then, in 1987, he teamed up with friend and fellow wrestler Vince Coppola to buy, renovate and flip a house in Thorold. Two years later, taking on his first solo project, he founded Gatta Homes.
“He would do everything himself in the beginning,” says Syrina. “He learned how to wire a house and do the flooring. He told us once he slashed right through his knee so deep he could see the bone, but he had his friend tape it up so he could just keep working because they were using rented equipment that was due back the next day.”
After projects in other areas of Niagara, Gatta Homes took on its first build in NOTL in 1999 on Harmony Drive off Charlotte Street. He and friends Pietro Mastromatteo and Chris Tiller built a French cottage-style house with crooked shutters that quickly became a conversation piece throughout the town.
“He fell in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake,” says Syrina. “He made his name off that style. He also built a number of houses in The Village, and recently we were doing Royal Albion Place (near Cottage Street) and some houses in St. Davids.”
When his eldest son Cyrus entered Grade 9, Gatta returned to his favourite sport as a volunteer coach with both St. Paul and the Brock Jr. Badgers program. Two years later he revamped the Jr. Badgers program, bringing his passion, positivity and enthusiasm to the young wrestlers.
Farrantina and Gatta’s youngest son, Zubin, also followed their father into competitive wrestling, representing Brock as varsity athletes.
“Going back to his days at Thorold High,” Syrina says, “He had a coach who saw something in him and took him under his wing. I think he wanted to have the same impact, to help kids not only in wrestling but in life. He wanted to give back in so many ways.”
As a gift to their father for his 60th birthday in February Gatta’s family started the Gatta Get ‘Em on the Mat fund to help promising young wrestlers ont he Brock Jr. Badgers team with financial support. As of Sunday, Sept. 8, the Gofundme page for the fund had amassed 139 pledges totalling over $32,000, far surpassing the goal of $5,000.
“He never turned anyone away,” adds Farrantina. “He was involved in Rotary, Shaw Festival, the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, there were at least 30 or 40 organizations that he gave back to.”
As much as Gatta loved his own family, he also loved to make everyone he knew feel like family.
“It didn’t matter who you were you were welcome in his house,” says Syrina. “He wanted to have people over all the time.”
The Gatta family moved into the Ricardo Street home about three years ago. Farrantina says it was Kekoo’s dream home, and when it went on the market he jumped at the chance to buy it. A big selling feature was its backyard, backing onto the Niagara River, where he hosted many parties and had a “guy’s night” most Fridays.
The house was also the setting for two recent weddings.
“It was such a pride and joy for him,” says Farrantina. “He got ordained online so he could officiate weddings. He loved our grandmother’s caretaker Lydia, who would arrive at the house every day singing. She had her wedding in the backyard. That’s why he got ordained.”
Both of Gatta’s daughters speak of their father’s generosity and kindness, his love of debating and his willingness to listen to opinions that might not gel with his. They fondly recall his love of travel, taking the entire family to India, Paris, Western Canada and Puerto Rico.
As friends, family members, colleagues and members of the wrestling community have continued to reach out to the family, Syrina and Farrantina have been heartened by the kind words they have been hearing about their father.
“He changed so many people’s lives,” says Farrantina, who with Cyrus and Syrina began working with Gatta Homes a few years ago. “So many people from the wrestling community have told me they wouldn’t have finished school without him. Nothing I have heard was at all surprising. It was just confirmation of who he was.”
The Gatta family is holding a celebration of life at their home at 277 Ricardo St. in NOTL on Tuesday, Sept. 10 starting at 1 p.m. All are welcome.
