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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 4 – 7:30 PM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow visitation and begin at 7:30 PM.
Carmine T. Vigorito, Esq., age 80, of Pompton Lakes, passed peacefully, with his family lovingly by his side, on Saturday, May 21, 2016.
The youngest of four children, Carmine was born and raised in Paterson. When he was just a young boy, he contracted a very serious case of bronchitis which forced him to miss a whole semester of school. Falling behind in his studies caused discouragement to take root in Carmine’s heart. His studies floundered a bit until, of all things, a famous moment in major league baseball history set Carmine on a more optimistic path. You see, Carmine was a big fan of major league baseball. The year was 1951 and his beloved New York Giants were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers in a playoff game for the National League pennant. It was the ninth inning and Carmine’s beloved Giants were trailing the Dodgers. That was until outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson came to bat for the Giants and hit a come-from-behind three-run homer in the ninth inning that helped the Giants win the National League Pennant. That home run became famously known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and that single event was a true inspiration and motivation for Carmine! He figured, if Bobby Thomson could overcome great odds and rise to this moment to attain this great feat, why couldn’t he do the same in his own life? From that moment forward, Carmine’s life became much more spirited and focused.
Carmine went on to graduate from Central High School in Paterson in 1953 and promptly pursued his bachelor’s degree, graduating from Seton Hall University in 1957. He studied further at Seton Hall Law School, earning his Juris Doctorate in 1960, graduating at the top of his class. When he passed the bar exam in 1961, he was granted all the rights and privileges to practice law. After proudly serving his country as a lawyer in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963, Carmine opened his own law firm in Paterson, where he practiced for forty-one years, retiring in 2004.
Honesty, integrity, and fairness were the mantras that guided Carmine throughout his career as a lawyer, and in life. He practiced general law, which suited him perfectly. He loved the variety of situations that called for his expertise – anything from a simple real estate closing to taking on large insurance companies in David versus Goliath-like fashion in medical malpractice lawsuits. Highly analytical, he often heeded the axiom, “There are always three sides to every story, the first party’s side, the second party’s side, and the truth, which often falls somewhere in between.” He always let the pursuit of truth be his guide and, as a result, he never lost a case that he took. It was never primarily about making lots of money for Carmine. He figured if he did the right thing for his clients, the income he needed to provide for his family would come. He did everything he could to encourage people to reconcile their differences outside the court of law. Throughout his career, he found great satisfaction in helping to save some troubled marriages, and he advocated for several poorer members of the community who he knew would not be able to pay. He did his best to keep his overhead low so that he could help more people, without having to be overly concerned with financial outcomes.
Carmine met his beloved wife, Patricia, by way of a blind date set up by Pat’s sister and her sister’s friend. Carmine was a little bit older than Pat, but her father was comfortable letting him take his daughter out on a date because he knew Carmine as a customer in the bank where he worked. Pat and Carmine’s first date was on a Saturday night – dinner followed by a movie at the Century Theater in Paramus. It went well enough that when Carmine asked Pat out for a second date four days later, she gladly said yes. Eleven months later, this loving couple exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on Saturday, October 21, 1967 at St. Mary’s Church in Paterson. Following a reception at The Bethwood in Totowa, they packed Carmine’s black Pontiac with red interior and embarked on a motor trip honeymoon throughout New England. They settled initially in Little Falls, and later moved to Lee Drive in North Haledon, where they raised their two daughters and son. In 2004, after retirement, Carmine and Pat moved to Pompton Lakes.
As described earlier, Carmine was an avid baseball fan. He was a real student of the game. Much like he did in other aspects of his life, he loved to analyze, and so it came as no surprise that he loved to analyze every aspect of a baseball game, too. In game situations, he was very adept at anticipating all of the potential scenarios that were likely going to happen next. It’s no wonder then that Carmine loved being a coach in the North Haledon baseball program. He served for ten years, from 1980 to 1990, including lots of summer all-star teams. Carmine’s son, Brian, was on those teams, and he learned a lot about baseball and life from watching his dad coach.
After the New York Giants moved to San Francisco, Carmine become a Mets fan. During their childhood, Carmine took his kids to at least one Mets game and one Yankees game every season. If he was visiting another city, he liked to go to that city’s baseball stadium to catch a game. He was also a big New York Giants football and New York Knicks basketball fan. He particularly enjoyed when his son's friends would come over to the house to watch important playoff games.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “I am part of everything that I have read.” Carmine could have said the same thing. He loved to read – especially great American classics, the works of Shakespeare, and anything to do with the Civil War and the American Revolution. He always had a book tucked in his briefcase and he loved to share his passion of U.S. history with his children, taking them on vacations to Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Alexandria, Philadelphia, and Boston. Reading shaped who Carmine was and it had a tremendous impact on everything he encountered, from making sense of world events to raising his children, and how he approached his work as an attorney. It also gave him lots of stories to tell, and boy-oh-boy, could he tell stories! He never stopped! God blessed Carmine’s wife, Pat, with great patience. His love for a good book also inspired him to write poetry, a pursuit he took up after retirement. In fact, he wrote over 2,000 poems.
When Carmine retired in 2004, he rediscovered a latent passion for cooking. Like every other facet of his life, he turned to the cookbooks, but only for general guidance, preferring instead to tinker with spices and other ingredients until he got it just the way he liked. Needless to say, Pat was delighted that he took over some of the duties in the kitchen, and all of his family especially enjoyed his lasagna, meatballs, tomato sauce, and eggplant parmigiana. He and Pat also enjoyed traveling a bit, taking a couple of cruises to the Bahamas and one to New England. They especially liked traveling south to see their daughter, Kelly, son-in-law, John, and their grandchildren in Florida twice a year, and those grandchildren loved it when Bop-Bop (Grandpa) and Nana (Grandma) came to visit.
A former parishioner of St. Paul’s R.C. Church in Prospect Park, Carmine was a spiritual man who prayed every day, including the rosary. He was truly loved and respected by his family, friends, and many people whose life paths crossed with his. Carmine's life was a life well lived and a great example of what one could accomplish through hard work, honesty, and integrity. Most importantly, he showed what is possible, and how fulfilling life could be, with love as your guide.
During the last and most difficult months of Carmine's life, he particularly cherished the company of his first-born daughter, Karen, who was by his side encouraging and comforting him every day as his biggest advocate, as well as being a tireless companion and support to his wife, Pat.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 48 years - Patricia; two daughters: Karen Jimenez and husband James of Wayne, and Kelly Giglio and husband John of Jacksonville, FL; one son: Brian Vigorito and wife Gwen of Easton, PA; four grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Alexis, Emily, and Isabella; three sisters; and several nieces and nephews.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 4 – 7:30 PM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow visitation and begin at 7:30 PM.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 4 – 7:30 PM.
A Funeral Service will immediately follow visitation and begin at 7:30 PM.
Carmine T. Vigorito, Esq., age 80, of Pompton Lakes, passed peacefully, with his family lovingly by his side, on Saturday, May 21, 2016.
The youngest of four children, Carmine was born and raised in Paterson. When he was just a young boy, he contracted a very serious case of bronchitis which forced him to miss a whole semester of school. Falling behind in his studies caused discouragement to take root in Carmine’s heart. His studies floundered a bit until, of all things, a famous moment in major league baseball history set Carmine on a more optimistic path. You see, Carmine was a big fan of major league baseball. The year was 1951 and his beloved New York Giants were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers in a playoff game for the National League pennant. It was the ninth inning and Carmine’s beloved Giants were trailing the Dodgers. That was until outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson came to bat for the Giants and hit a come-from-behind three-run homer in the ninth inning that helped the Giants win the National League Pennant. That home run became famously known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and that single event was a true inspiration and motivation for Carmine! He figured, if Bobby Thomson could overcome great odds and rise to this moment to attain this great feat, why couldn’t he do the same in his own life? From that moment forward, Carmine’s life became much more spirited and focused.
Carmine went on to graduate from Central High School in Paterson in 1953 and promptly pursued his bachelor’s degree, graduating from Seton Hall University in 1957. He studied further at Seton Hall Law School, earning his Juris Doctorate in 1960, graduating at the top of his class. When he passed the bar exam in 1961, he was granted all the rights and privileges to practice law. After proudly serving his country as a lawyer in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963, Carmine opened his own law firm in Paterson, where he practiced for forty-one years, retiring in 2004.
Honesty, integrity, and fairness were the mantras that guided Carmine throughout his career as a lawyer, and in life. He practiced general law, which suited him perfectly. He loved the variety of situations that called for his expertise – anything from a simple real estate closing to taking on large insurance companies in David versus Goliath-like fashion in medical malpractice lawsuits. Highly analytical, he often heeded the axiom, “There are always three sides to every story, the first party’s side, the second party’s side, and the truth, which often falls somewhere in between.” He always let the pursuit of truth be his guide and, as a result, he never lost a case that he took. It was never primarily about making lots of money for Carmine. He figured if he did the right thing for his clients, the income he needed to provide for his family would come. He did everything he could to encourage people to reconcile their differences outside the court of law. Throughout his career, he found great satisfaction in helping to save some troubled marriages, and he advocated for several poorer members of the community who he knew would not be able to pay. He did his best to keep his overhead low so that he could help more people, without having to be overly concerned with financial outcomes.
Carmine met his beloved wife, Patricia, by way of a blind date set up by Pat’s sister and her sister’s friend. Carmine was a little bit older than Pat, but her father was comfortable letting him take his daughter out on a date because he knew Carmine as a customer in the bank where he worked. Pat and Carmine’s first date was on a Saturday night – dinner followed by a movie at the Century Theater in Paramus. It went well enough that when Carmine asked Pat out for a second date four days later, she gladly said yes. Eleven months later, this loving couple exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on Saturday, October 21, 1967 at St. Mary’s Church in Paterson. Following a reception at The Bethwood in Totowa, they packed Carmine’s black Pontiac with red interior and embarked on a motor trip honeymoon throughout New England. They settled initially in Little Falls, and later moved to Lee Drive in North Haledon, where they raised their two daughters and son. In 2004, after retirement, Carmine and Pat moved to Pompton Lakes.
As described earlier, Carmine was an avid baseball fan. He was a real student of the game. Much like he did in other aspects of his life, he loved to analyze, and so it came as no surprise that he loved to analyze every aspect of a baseball game, too. In game situations, he was very adept at anticipating all of the potential scenarios that were likely going to happen next. It’s no wonder then that Carmine loved being a coach in the North Haledon baseball program. He served for ten years, from 1980 to 1990, including lots of summer all-star teams. Carmine’s son, Brian, was on those teams, and he learned a lot about baseball and life from watching his dad coach.
After the New York Giants moved to San Francisco, Carmine become a Mets fan. During their childhood, Carmine took his kids to at least one Mets game and one Yankees game every season. If he was visiting another city, he liked to go to that city’s baseball stadium to catch a game. He was also a big New York Giants football and New York Knicks basketball fan. He particularly enjoyed when his son's friends would come over to the house to watch important playoff games.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “I am part of everything that I have read.” Carmine could have said the same thing. He loved to read – especially great American classics, the works of Shakespeare, and anything to do with the Civil War and the American Revolution. He always had a book tucked in his briefcase and he loved to share his passion of U.S. history with his children, taking them on vacations to Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Alexandria, Philadelphia, and Boston. Reading shaped who Carmine was and it had a tremendous impact on everything he encountered, from making sense of world events to raising his children, and how he approached his work as an attorney. It also gave him lots of stories to tell, and boy-oh-boy, could he tell stories! He never stopped! God blessed Carmine’s wife, Pat, with great patience. His love for a good book also inspired him to write poetry, a pursuit he took up after retirement. In fact, he wrote over 2,000 poems.
When Carmine retired in 2004, he rediscovered a latent passion for cooking. Like every other facet of his life, he turned to the cookbooks, but only for general guidance, preferring instead to tinker with spices and other ingredients until he got it just the way he liked. Needless to say, Pat was delighted that he took over some of the duties in the kitchen, and all of his family especially enjoyed his lasagna, meatballs, tomato sauce, and eggplant parmigiana. He and Pat also enjoyed traveling a bit, taking a couple of cruises to the Bahamas and one to New England. They especially liked traveling south to see their daughter, Kelly, son-in-law, John, and their grandchildren in Florida twice a year, and those grandchildren loved it when Bop-Bop (Grandpa) and Nana (Grandma) came to visit.
A former parishioner of St. Paul’s R.C. Church in Prospect Park, Carmine was a spiritual man who prayed every day, including the rosary. He was truly loved and respected by his family, friends, and many people whose life paths crossed with his. Carmine's life was a life well lived and a great example of what one could accomplish through hard work, honesty, and integrity. Most importantly, he showed what is possible, and how fulfilling life could be, with love as your guide.
During the last and most difficult months of Carmine's life, he particularly cherished the company of his first-born daughter, Karen, who was by his side encouraging and comforting him every day as his biggest advocate, as well as being a tireless companion and support to his wife, Pat.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 48 years - Patricia; two daughters: Karen Jimenez and husband James of Wayne, and Kelly Giglio and husband John of Jacksonville, FL; one son: Brian Vigorito and wife Gwen of Easton, PA; four grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Alexis, Emily, and Isabella; three sisters; and several nieces and nephews.
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