KANSAS CITY, Mo. – You may remember him as the face of City Market in Kansas City.
Now an Italian immigrant is also one of the faces of the new Kansas City Terminal, much to the shock of his family here in Kansas City.
Inside the airport, there are nine murals and nine benches depicting iconic Kansas City scenes and a handful of famous faces. The family of Angelo Donze had no idea he was among them.
From almost the day he arrived from Sicily in 1960, and for the next 42 years, you’d find Donze at Kansas City’s popular City Market.
“He cemented himself in this town to make a dream a reality for himself and the family,” his son, Angelo Donze Jr. said.
The owner of Donze’s Produce was known for his larger-than-life personality and for many, would become the face of the City Market in Kansas City.
He was featured in magazines, almanacs and even on the cover of the phone book.
Kansas City recently opened the new single terminal airport with concessions themed around City Market. Artists with IT-RA Icons were tasked with supplying the artwork.
“When I was scrolling and looking and doing research and all that, I stumbled upon his picture and I was like ‘I remember this guy.’ Like you can’t forget him because he’s very energetic,” mural designer of “The People’s Market,” Isaac Tapia said.
So Tapia and co-collaborator Rodrigo Alvarez decided to include the grocer who retired in 2003 and passed away in 2009 in the design.
His widow still works weekends at City Market, where a plaque honors his memory. But she and the family had no idea he was being featured until her daughter—who works at the airport—saw it in person and her son saw it online.
“She called me and said, ‘Mommy, daddy’s here’ and I start crying,'” Matilda Donze, 88, said.
“It ran through my feed and I was just so happy to see it. I immediately noticed it was him and it was pretty emotional,” Donze Jr. said.
The artists didn’t know how to reach his family. But FOX4 arranged for them to meet at City Market and they came with a surprise.
“We’d like to give you guys something,” artist Woody Woodward said, joined by Molly McGlynn, Alvarez and Tapia.
They handed Angelo and Matilda a smaller version of the mural, now painted in Concourse B.
“It’s amazing and cool, to say the least. Just to think how many thousands are going to see it. It’s really an honor to me and my family,” Donze Jr. said.
“To see someone who appreciates the art like they do and have an emotional connection like that, it’s awesome. It makes me want to cry,” Woodward said.
“It’s always good to see stories like that are there. This is why we paint murals,” Tapia said.
All of the new murals at Kansas City International have information plates where you can learn more about the scene being depicted and also feature a QR code connecting to the website.
