Patrick "Pat" Murphy Taranto

Patrick “Pat” Murphy Taranto, 65, of D’Iberville, Mississippi, passed away from natural causes on August 22, 2026. Born November 25, 1960, in Biloxi, Mississippi, Pat spent his life along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, surrounded by the people, food, traditions, and way of life that he loved.

Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony Arnold Taranto, Sr. and Trula Tapper, and his brothers, Arnold Taranto, David Taranto, and Tommy Taranto.

He leaves behind his daughters, Amanda Brant and Lauren Taranto; his grandson, Kaiden Taranto; his sister, Sheila Borries; and his nieces and nephews, Shelly Taranto Walker, Anthony Taranto, Rebecca O’Keefe, Ralph Borries, Rachel Brown, Danielle Taranto Conway, David Taranto, John Taranto and Monica Tooki along with extended family and friends who will miss him dearly.

Pat was a Gulf Coast man through and through. He spent years boiling crawfish and owned a seafood restaurant, sharing his love of good food with countless people over the years. But some of his best cooking was reserved for his family. Holidays meant tradition, and for Pat, tradition included making his tomato gravy — a meal that will forever bring him to mind around the family table.

He loved Ole Miss football, fishing, listening to music, and taking rides down the back roads simply for the enjoyment of the drive. He was happiest enjoying the familiar things in life and spending time with the people he loved.

Pat was unapologetically old school. Family, loyalty, and tradition mattered deeply to him. He believed in family in the way of the old Italian families portrayed in the movies — you looked after your own, you protected the people you loved, and family came first. And Pat certainly protected his.

He could be stubborn to a fault, but that stubbornness came with a heart just as strong. He was the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He loved his family fiercely and was deeply protective of them.

He also loved to laugh and make other people laugh. He enjoyed joking and kidding around, and anyone who ever watched a scary movie with Pat knew to keep an eye out afterward — because there was a very good chance he was waiting around a corner for the perfect opportunity to scare you.

Those are the moments his family will carry with them: the laughter, the back-road drives, Ole Miss football, fishing, music playing, tomato gravy cooking on the holidays, and the unmistakable presence of a man who could be stubborn as they come but loved his family with everything he had.

Pat will be deeply missed, but the traditions he kept, the stories he created, and the love he had for his family will continue through the generations he leaves behind.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Patrick “Pat” Taranto.

We’ll gather on Monday, August 31, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the D’Iberville Town Green Center, 10004 Central Ave., D’Iberville, MS 39540.

Please come share a meal, a story, a laugh, and your favorite memories of Pat as we celebrate a life filled with family, tradition, good food, and plenty of good times. Food and drinks will be provided.

Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Homes is honored to serve the family of Patrick "Pat" Taranto.