GUELPH — Downtown Guelph has lost one of its true characters.

Tony Cupelli, who for the past 46 years has owned and operated Tony's Billiards on Macdonell Street, passed away Saturday at home after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 83.

"He had a big, big heart," said son Angelo Cupelli. "If you were in trouble or needed something, he would look after you."

Some food, a few dollars, an unpaid tab. He was always willing to lend a helping hand if he knew you needed it, his son said.

"But he earned respect. If he loaned you $10 and you didn't pay it back, he'd let you know it," Angelo said with a chuckle.

After coming to Canada from the Calabria region of Italy, Cupelli settled in Oshawa. He decided he wanted to open a pool hall but felt Toronto wasn't the place to do it.

"In Toronto, there were too many things going on," Tony Cupelli told the Mercury in 2009. "It was too crowded and I wanted to stay away from big cities."

He initially planned to set up a hall in London, but in passing a highway sign for Guelph one day he decided to see what the city was like. He was impressed with the city and its large Italian community.

"I think it was perfect and I decided to change from London and come to Guelph," he said.

After three years at a different spot lower down on Macdonell Street he moved into the current location over 40 years ago, replacing an A & P grocery store, Angelo said. Previous to that the second floor had been home to a boxing club and a bowling alley at different times.