Thomas “Tommy” Vigorito

Thomas “Tommy” Vigorito of Wayne, passed on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at home receiving the love and comfort of family and his wife Natalie by his side.

He was born to the late Ralph (link to Ralph's obituary can be found below) and Dorothy (Vigorito) Lukacsko in Passaic General Hospital. Interestingly Tommy was born the day before his wife Natalie in the same hospital and they likely shared time in the nursery together in 1959.

The family lived in Clifton, then moved to Wayne in 1967, where he entered Holy Cross Elementary School in 3rd grade.  He went on to graduate from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne. He continued his studies at the University of Virginia. Throughout his schooling, he not only pursued academic excellence but also forged lifelong friendships. These enduring bonds, formed at Holy Cross, DePaul, and UVA, flourished and reflected the loyalty and warmth that defined his character.

Tommy’s love for football began in his youth with the Clifton B&C Aluminum Football program at Nash Park. When his family moved to Wayne, he and his brother Ralph would engage in spirited one-on-one tackle football games on the front lawn at their home on Leo Place. Their passion for the sport grew, and both brothers went on to play for the Wayne PAL Football program, where they were coached by their father, Ralph. Football was truly a family affair for the Vigoritos—while the boys played, their mother, Dorothy, led the Wayne PAL Cheerleaders, including sisters Darcy and Patti who cheered on the sidelines. The Vigorito family became a fixture at the Wayne PAL Parish Oval field, a place they grew to love.

A standout high school All-American at DePaul Catholic High School in the Class of 1977, Tommy drew scholarship offers from prestigious programs such as Notre Dame, Boston College, Duke, Purdue, Penn State, and Virginia. Ultimately, he chose to continue his football journey at the University of Virginia, where he quickly earned a reputation for his remarkable combination of toughness and speed.

When he left Virginia in 1981, Tommy ranked second on the Cavaliers' all-time career rushing list. He finished his collegiate career with 2,913 rushing yards, a mark that now places him seventh on the all-time list for Virginia.  His 648 carries remain the fifth-most in program history, and his 3,922 all-purpose yards, including 587 yards in kickoff returns, rank 12th among the Cavaliers' all-time leaders.

Following his successful college career, Tommy was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, joining the legendary coach Don Shula. Over a five-year NFL career, he made his mark with several memorable plays, including an iconic 87-yard game-winning punt return against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which remains one of the most celebrated moments in the history of Thursday Night Football.

Tommy’s work history was a journey marked by dedication and consistency.   His early years saw him selling soda amid the smoke-filled atmosphere of Wayne PAL bingo nights and bussing tables at Gabriel’s in the Mountain View section of Wayne. He later served as a server for Hap Nightingale's legendary beefsteaks. Tommy’s career reached new heights when he played for five seasons in the National Football League with the Miami Dolphins. Following his NFL career, he transitioned into the business world, working several years in financial printing for the Chas. P. Young Company in Miami, Florida. The bulk of his career was spent selling municipal bonds with Roosevelt & Cross Incorporated in NYC, a job that he truly loved.

Tommy was a man of unwavering honesty, loyalty, and devotion, qualities that defined his life as a husband. He met his first wife, Dianne (Quaratino) Vigorito, at Holy Cross School, and the two attended DePaul together.  They shared a long and loving marriage, raising two beloved sons, Justin and Michael, until Dianne’s passing in 2015. The link to Dianne's obituary can be found below.  He untiringly dedicated his time and efforts for many years to caring for her when she was sick, and he protected her with all his might.

In 2016, “Tom” found love again with Natalie (Wagner) Vigorito, another DePaul classmate. Their bond was strengthened by shared faith, as Natalie sang at Mass every weekend. He never missed an opportunity to go with her, sometimes attending back-to-back Masses, even weddings and funerals, just to hear her voice, and afterwards telling her each time how beautifully she sang and complimenting her outfit. His heartfelt gestures such as these captured his enduring admiration and love for both of his cherished wives.

An exceptional golfer, Tommy achieved the rare feat of several holes-in-one and was once a proud member of the Montclair Golf Club in West Orange. His golfing prowess was further highlighted by his two-time status as a finalist in the NFL Alumni Association's Super Bowl of Golf Championship. He was a loyal participant in the annual IGT (Irv’s Golf Tournament)—a cherished tradition organized for many years by “The Commissioner”, longtime friend Bob Mulvihill. For those who didn’t know, Tommy’s father Ralph was affectionately known as “Irv,” making this trip even more meaningful.

Tommy’s interests extended beyond sports. He was an avid reader who read many novels in his youth and always listened to audiobooks in the car while riding with Natalie. His love for oldies music was profound – amazingly, he could sing all the lyrics of hundreds of songs while his actual speech declined due to his illness.  He watched Jeopardy every night and amazed everyone with the breadth of his knowledge and intelligence. His love of Elvis Presley and football legend Joe Namath remained unwavering. His generous spirit was evident in his service on the Board of Directors of the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in Miami, where he avidly supported the organization’s groundbreaking research as well as the Miami Project Great Sports Legend Dinner.

Tommy participated in a research project at the Boston University Alzheimer's and CTE Center, the goal of which was to find tests that could diagnose Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy before death. Tom suffered from suspected CTE and confirmed Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, conditions that both can be caused by repeated head trauma.  With Natalie’s assistance, he organized a fundraiser for the 2024 End CTE campaign run by the Concussion Legacy Foundation, and he was deeply grateful to all those who contributed.  He wanted everyone to understand the potential dangers of long-term playing of football and hockey, and wanted to find ways to protect young athletes.

Tommy was a man of vibrant contrasts—sarcastic yet caring, quick-witted but deeply giving, friendly and outgoing yet somewhat antisocial.  Nevertheless, he loved being with his close friends, teammates and colleagues.   Above all, Tommy was devoted to his family. He never missed a family function—whether birthdays, holidays, or special celebrations—always showing up with his characteristic warmth, enthusiasm and humor, making every gathering more memorable. DGGG - “Do good, get good”, a family saying Tommy would write in his cards to family members.

Tommy had many wonderful healthcare providers, especially Dr. David Goldbloom of Wayne (9 years), and his physical therapist, Joel Menendez of Performance Physical Therapy (4.5 years), also in Wayne. Finally, he was blessed by the assistance and companionship of many kind caregivers in recent years, especially Jireh Brown, his “PBR” buddy for the past 2.5 years.  Everyone took extra good care of Tommy, who was deeply thankful for their friendship, presence and support, and he always kept them entertained in return.

Tommy was the loving husband of the late Dianne (Quaratino) Vigorito (d. 2015) and Natalie (Wagner) Vigorito for the past nine years; he was the cherished son of the late Ralph “Irv” Vigorito (d. 2023) and his late wife Sandy Vigorito (d. 2010), and Dorothy Lukacsko of Pembroke Pines, Fl and her late husband John (d. 2016);  he was the devoted father of Justin Vigorito (Becka) of Jupiter, FL and Michael Vigorito of Brooklyn, NY; he was the dearly loved brother of Ralph Vigorito (Debbie) of Lincoln Park, Darcy Nash of Pembroke Pines, FL, and Patricia Babich (Matt) of Wayne; he was also the proud grandfather of Dominick Vigorito, Mackenzie Payne and Ivy Payne.  Tom was also the proud step-father of Anthony Marzocca of New York City, Charlotte Marzocca (Mike Payne) of Wayne, and Theo Kadela (Ingrid Gres) of Totowa. Tommy will be dearly missed by his aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as his cherished friends.

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In lieu of flowers memorial donations the Concussion Legacy Foundation would be greatly appreciated.