Vincenzo Tarsitano

Vincenzo Tarsitano made his transition from earthly life to eternal on Saturday, August 14, 2021, at Port Orange Nursing and Rehabilitation.

He was born in Roggiano Gravina in the Cosenza province of Calabria, in southern Italy, on September 21, 1926, to Lucia Novello and Salvatore Tarsitano. After he completed his education, he worked odd jobs to contribute to his family. He enjoyed card games, going to dances and festivals.

On October 28, 1951, at the age of 25, he married Carolina “Lina” Olivieri, also from Roggiano. The couple decided to make their lives in America, where each had close relatives already established and thriving in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area. Carolina arrived first, in October 1952, because her father, who had established residency in south Philadelphia, had become an American citizen. She was already in the later stages of her first pregnancy, and delivered their first child on December 7, 1952. The baby was named Francesco, after Vincenzo’s eldest brother, with whom Carolina lived until Vincenzo arrived in June 1953, after she legally cleared the way for him.

Upon settling in northeast Philadelphia, Vincenzo began his career as a machinist at DeRuss Machine Products Company where, after a few years, he was promoted to foreman. He brought several of his “paesani” to work there over the years as they emigrated to the United States in search of a better life.

The couple purchased their first home on Cottman Avenue in the Mayfair neighborhood in 1957. They raised their family there, giving birth to two additional children, Vincent and Luciana. They were active members of Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church in Tacony. As a homeowner, Vincenzo learned to be a handyman, attacking plumbing, electrical chores and more.

In 1971, Vincenzo planned a 6-week trip to Italy for his whole family. It would be the couple’s first time back in Italy in nearly 20 years. It was a top-to-bottom peninsula journey, with stops in Turin, Venice, Florence and Rome, with extra time spent back home in Calabria.

Vincenzo and Carolina purchased a vacation home on Fairmount Avenue in Atlantic City in 1974. He had several first cousins in the resort town, who had established themselves in the restaurant business, beginning in the 1920s. In the late 1970s, with the emerging casino industry, the two decided to purchase an additional, larger home in Atlantic City’s Chelsea neighborhood, with an eye toward permanent residency there. In fact, they moved permanently to Atlantic City in 1979. They rented the house on Fairmount to year-round tenants. The house in Chelsea also had rental income. The family completely renovated this home, and occupied the main part.

In 1981, Vincenzo began a new career in the chef's department at Resorts International Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, where he worked until his retirement in 1991, specializing in garde-manger delicacies, often crafted for celebrities. The family were members of Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Church. Luciana married Richard Migliaccio there in 1987.

In Atlantic City, Vincenzo enjoyed bike-riding on the Boardwalk, growing vegetables and fruit in his garden (including prize-winning tomatoes), the beach, and the occasional blackjack game or slot machine. Weather-permitting, he walked home from work on the beach daily, with his feet in the ocean. It was a 22-block walk.

In 1990, with retirement looming, Vincenzo, Carolina and son Vincent decided to purchase a home together in Florida. They chose a recently-built home in the Foxboro subdivision in Port Orange. Vincent decided to live there full-time in 1991, while Vincenzo and Caroline would spend the winters. Victoriana, Luciana and Richard’s first child, and Vincenzo and Carolina’s first grandchild, would spend part of the winter during her second, third and fourth year. On most days, Vincenzo would bike-ride with Victoriana to a beautiful park/playground in the neighborhood, where they would spend an hour or two. He also began making small wood sculptures around this time, which he would often give as gifts.

In 1993, Vincenzo and Carolina vacationed for one month in and around Buenos Aires, Argentina. They described this as one of the best experiences in their lives. Carolina’s relatives could not have been more hospitable. They also vacationed in St. Maarten, Las Vegas, and other locations.

Vincenzo loved attending his grandsons’ basketball games, and granddaughter’s soccer matches. A special thrill was when he got to attend an Orlando Magic game. He also enjoyed watching hockey games on television, and always cheered loudly for the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 1995, Vincenzo and Carolina decided to stay in Florida year-round, and also decided to build a larger home in the then-new subdivision of Steeplechase in Countryside, selling the house in Foxboro. It would be a 5 bedroom, 5 bath house with pool and spa, with plenty of room for the rest of the family. In fact, the rest of the family soon joined them. Together, they built a new life in Florida. Vincenzo, on most days, would bike to the beach, take care of the garden, and help out around the house. The family were very active at Epiphany Catholic Church, where Vincenzo ushered at 11 a.m. Sunday Mass for many years. He and Carolina would often be found dancing at church functions.

When one of the grandchildren would celebrate a birthday, first communion, graduation, etc., Vincenzo could be counted on to prepare one of his fine crudite’ platters and his carved watermelon fruit creations to give the party a special touch. He also was a master at carving meat dishes cooked by Carolina.

In 1998, Vincenzo had a medical procedure that effectively ended his bike-riding. Afterwards, however, he would drive to the beach and walk for miles along the shore on most days. Later, related procedures curtailed his activities further. Vincenzo and Caroline still participated in a gym exercise class three times per week, and he still tended his garden and helped maintain the house.

In 2004, Vincenzo, Carolina and Vincent traveled to Australia together to spend a month with family there in and around Melbourne. It was a special experience.

There were several other trips to Italy, but a notable one occurred in 2006. With a stay in Udine with relatives, a side trip to Croatia, and a wedding in Calabria, it proved to be a travel highlight. Vincenzo and Caroline dazzled the wedding attendees with their dancing.

In 2010, just a couple of weeks before his 84th birthday, Vincenzo suffered a stroke. After treatment and rehabilitation, he was left with loss of peripheral vision in his right eye. This soon ended his ability to drive a vehicle, which, of course, was lifestyle-changing. He had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease earlier in the year. With early treatment, the condition seemed to proceed slowly. In fact, Vincenzo, Caroline and Vincent visited Francesco in Cherokee, North Carolina, in 2013 and 2014, where he had been working in casino management. Vincenzo endured the drive from Florida without any significant difficulty, and totally enjoyed the Blue Ridge Mountains, the casino, Asheville, and other attractions.

Vincenzo loved playing cards. Italian classic like Scopa and Briscola, as well as Uno and Skip Bo. He always looked forward to playing. These activities kept him engaged, and allowed family to assess the progression of his Alzheimer’s. Even with the onset of Sundowners, which began in late 2018, early 2019, and took the family by surprise, he was still very sharp in playing cards.

However, the combination of Alzheimer’s with the addition of Sundowners, along with incontinence and a form of blindless, made it increasingly difficult to manage Vincenzo at home. The difficult decision was made to seek a residential placement with medical staff specializing in memory care. This took place after Vincenzo participated in the wedding of his granddaughter, Victoriana, in October 2019. This would be his last official family function. The photos from the wedding show a good level of engagement and enjoyment through the proceedings.

Soon after the wedding, Vincenzo entered his first of three facilities, never to return home. The Covid-19 pandemic sometimes made visitation difficult for family, but family contact and participation was almost always daily. One of the more upbeat experiences during this difficult time was celebration of Vincenzo’s 94th birthday, which took place on the front porch of Harbor Oaks Golden Years in Port Orange, with balloons, cake, gifts and decorations. Vincenzo was a very good sport during the celebration, even making a valiant attempt to read his cards.

In April 2021, an infection that could have killed Vincenzo had to be treated in the hospital. Afterwards, a nursing home placement was secured very close to home. However, since it was clear that his decline was irreversible, this was considered a hospice placement. Vincenzo was no longer able to do anything for himself, and was confined to his bed. Family was on hand to feed him, to help care for him, reasonably keep his strength up, as well as to try and keep a sense of connection. Ultimately, the spike in Covid cases, attributed to the Delta variant, made it impossible for family to visit during his last weeks. How could he not decline further under these circumstances?

On Saturday, August 14, 2021, a call went out from Port Orange Nursing and Rehabilitation to family at around 1:30 pm, to let them know that Vincenzo had passed. It was clear that he slipped peacefully away. No fever, no infection, no attack, no pain. This time, family was allowed to see him. They kept vigil until it was time to take him away to ready him for burial.

Vincenzo is immediately survived by Carolina, his wife of over 69 years, his son, Vincent, daughter Luciana (Migliaccio), son-in-law Richard Migliaccio, grandsons Vincent and MarcAnthony Migliaccio, all of Port Orange, and his granddaughter, Victoriana Migliaccio-Doehr, of Durham, North Carolina. He is predeceased by his son, Francesco, his parents, brothers and sister. Celebration of life will be held at Volusia Memorial Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service and interment at Volusia Memorial, 548 N. Nova Road, Ormond Beach, FL.