Vincent Fortunato

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Vincent Fortunato, age 89, of Wayne, NJ.  Vinny passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Vinny was born and raised in the Bronx and was the younger of two sons to Nicholas and Anna Fortunato.  As a young man, he attended high school in the Bronx where he excelled in Track and Field.  Following his graduation from high school in 1951, Vinny found employment quickly with the Prudential Life Insurance company where he worked for about two years.

In 1953, he got the call to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Army.  Vinny was stationed overseas in Korea during the Korean Conflict where he served as an Electrical Technician.  He served honorably in the US Army from 1953 until 1955.  During his service with the US Army, he received the Good Conduct Medal as well as the National Defense Service Medal.  Serving in the United States armed forces had a profound effect on Vinny’s life and would make him a lifelong devoted patriot.

Following his honorable discharge from the US Army, Vinny honed and further developed his skills in electronics, by enrolling and obtaining a certificate in Television and General Electronics from the RCA Institute in New York City.  After obtaining his certificate from the RCA Institute, he again found employment quickly, this time at The Bendix Corporation in Teterboro, NJ.  During his employment, Bendix was acquired by Allied Signal, and eventually Honeywell.  Vinny’s career as an Electronics Technician spanned more that forty years until his retirement in 1995.  During his career, he was well loved and respected by his peers and his colleagues.  He was also active in the local union at the Bendix Corporation, regularly attending union meetings.

In 1972, while at a dance at the Crest Haven Dance Club in New Jersey, Vinny met an attractive young lady by the name of Anna Gentile.  After the dance, he gave Anna a call and asked her out to dinner.  They hit it off great and immediately started dating.  The couple dated for about three years and as fate would have it, they fell in love and became husband and wife on April 12, 1975.  The newlyweds settled in Yonkers and remained there for about twenty-five years.  During that time, they welcomed the birth of their one and only son, Matthew.

About five years after retiring, in 2000, Vinny and Anna moved to Wayne, NJ and have resided there ever since.  Throughout Vinny’s entire life, he was an avid New York Yankees and New York Giants fan.  He was also a great admirer of “Joltin” Joe DiMaggio.  He liked keeping in shape throughout his life and enjoyed jogging around the local high school track as well as going on long walks with his wife.  He treasured yearly family vacations to a variety of destinations.  Vinny thoroughly enjoyed doing yard work and always had his front and back yards meticulously manicured.  He also enjoyed doing his daily jumble puzzles.

Vinny was generally a quiet and private man but also had the gift of captivating an audience with his way of telling a story.  It was clear to everyone that knew him that his greatest passion in life was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to him than spending time with his wife, son, grandson, and daughter-in-law.  He and his wife Anna cherished forty-seven years of a loving and loyal marriage.  Vinny was not only dedicated to his family but also to his Catholic Faith.  He and his family were parishioners of St John the Baptist Church while living in Yonkers, and are longtime parishioners of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne, NJ.

Vincent was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will forever be remembered as a devoted husband and father, as well as a true patriot.    

Vinny is survived by his wife Anna of Wayne, NJ, one son Matthew Fortunato and his wife Ginny, one grandson Luca, and three cousins; Jeanette Zahn of New Jersey, Ceil Greco of Connecticut, and Rosemary Rolosen of New Jersey.

Those planning to make a donation in Vinny’s name are asked to consider St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 http://www.stjude.org