Vincent V. Spata

Vincent V. Spata, 80, of Burlington, CT passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at Valerie Manor in Torrington, CT.  He was the beloved husband of Joanne (Russo) Spata for 55 years. Vince was born in Bridgeport, CT on August 2, 1939, the oldest of four children, to the late John and Filippa (Gascia) Spata.  After graduating high school, he was employed by Bridgeport Machines, Inc. as the Shipping and Receiving Supervisor for 12 years. After leaving there, he spent 4 years working as a security guard at St. Joseph’s Manor in Trumbull before moving to Kolbe Cathedral High School as the custodian, where he stayed until he and his wife moved to Florida in 1997.  In Florida, Vince worked for 8 years as a custodian at Martin County Courthouse until he retired.

Growing up, Vince enjoyed taking his brothers to baseball games and to the movies. Although he was an avid Red Sox fan all of his life, Ted Williams being his idol, he lovingly suffered through taking his brothers to see the Yankees. Watching black and white movies from the 40s and 50s was a passion of his throughout his life and he would enjoy explaining what was happening in each movie to anyone that needed a recap. Many summers were spent coaching his daughter’s Union City Little League softball teams, for which he received the Citizen of the Year Award from the Beacon Valley Grange in 1983. He was also proud to be a 3rd Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus Bridgeport Council for many years.  In Florida, Vince enjoyed spending time with his friends, playing bocce and cards, and attending their monthly dinners at Casa Giuseppe’s Italian Grill in Stuart.  He was active in volunteering his time with his wife Joanne at the Treasure Coast Humane Society, where they walked dogs and helped to socialize them 2 to 3 times a week. In addition, Vince would also spend time at The Place, a nursing home in Stuart, and he would bring a different classic movie to share with the residents every Friday.  Many times, he would bring along their family dog, Ember, who was a certified therapy dog. The residents always looked forward to his and Ember’s visits.  Vince was a friendly guy, who loved playing practical jokes and making people laugh. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

In addition to his beloved wife Joanne, Vince is survived by his daughter Colleen Slason and her husband Eugene of Burlington, CT; his brother Victor Spata and his wife Genevieve of Stratford, CT; his sister Lucille Targonski and her husband Paul of Stuart, FL; and his brother John Spata and his wife Cathy of Stuart, FL.  He also leaves three grandchildren: Alexa Spata of Nashville, TN, and Marcella and Nathaniel Slason of Burlington, CT; a daughter-in-law June Spata of Tennessee; as well as many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by one son, Michael V. Spata.

The family would like to thank the staff at Valerie Manor for their care of Vince while he was there.  There are a few amazing people in the Meadowview Unit that helped to make his stay as comfortable as it could possibly have been and we will be forever grateful to those individuals.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Our Lady of Hope Parish), 78 Litchfield Road, Harwinton, CT. Relatives and friends are asked to meet directly at the church.  Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.  There are no calling hours.  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Cook Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent to the Spata family by visiting www.cookfuneralhomect.com