Vito Anthony Saritelli

Vito Anthony Saritelli, passed away peacefully at his home in Providence, Rhode Island, surrounded by loving family, just shy of his 91st birthday. He was the son of the late Samuel and Antonetta (Feola) Saritelli, and beloved and devoted husband of Gertrude (Dubois) Saritelli. Vito was a loving and dedicated brother to Maria Ponticelli of California, Annamaria DiPanni of Cranston, Rhode Island, and to the late Joseph Saritelli, Samuel Saritelli, Edith Drake, Angelo Saritelli, Mario Saritelli, Amando Saritelli, Anthony Saritelli, Genevieve Romano, and Adele Klones, all of Providence, Rhode Island. Vito was a cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by four step children, Mary-Jane Newbert of Buffton, SC; David F. Kilmartin, Jr. of Charlottesville, VA; Pat Lincoln of Silverspring, MD; and Rosemarie Royal of John’s Island, SC.

Vito, an Army Veteran of the Korean War, served with the 43rd Infantry Division in Germany. He was the seventh son in the Saritelli family, who served our country in the Armed Forces. He attended and graduated from Central High School in Providence Rhode Island, and was also college degreed. He was a retired Life and Casualty Insurance Agent.

Vito was a great Patriot who passionately respected America and it’s flag! He loved his country calling it, “God’s Greatest Nation on Earth.” His calling was Service to Others, which became his hallmark trait. Vito was a tenacious first generation Italian-American grateful for the opportunities that America had set before him, so by 1958 at 28 years old, he decided to channel his passions toward governance and representing the will of the people of Rhode Island by running for State Senator. Although his bid was unsuccessful, it did not deter him from his true calling to serve. In 1978, Vito campaigned for office and was elected as Rhode Island’s 5th District State Representative from Providence, serving three terms from 1979-1984. Demonstrating strong leadership skills, Vito became chairman of many committees including the Joint Committee on the Arts, where he was recognized as the General Assembly’s most ardent arts advocate, having sponsored significant arts legislation. Other committees that he chaired included the Joint Legislative Commission to study the Auto Repair Industry in Rhode Island and Other States; Joint Legislative Commission to study Juvenile Diversionary, Community Service and Restitution Programs; Advisory Commission which oversees The Rhode Island Juvenile Restitution Program; and the Rhode Island Arts and Tourism Commission. Additionally, Vito was also a member of the National Council of State Legislatures, Arts, Tourism and Cultural Resources Committee; National Juvenile Restitution Association; Permanent Commission for Sheltered Care of Adults; Legislative Commission on Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias related to aging; State Education Commissioners Advisory Council on The Arts; Providence School Superintendent’s Arts Advisory Commission; House Labor Committee; and Health, Education and Welfare Committee, Rhode Island House of Representatives…just to name a few! ~Well done, good and faithful servant.

From the time he was a small child, Vito had an affinity and passion for music. He was a lifelong lover of singing, having sung in opera, operetta, and musical comedy productions. He had sung with many church and choral groups, and at times as tenor soloist, he was fond of saying that perhaps his greatest joy in singing was in association with his friend Dr. C. Alexander Peloquin, whom Vito considered to be the finest composer, organist and choral director in the American Catholic Church, during the 20th Century. Over the years, Vito felt blessed and thankful for the many bonds and friendships he formed while volunteering and singing at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was also the Co-Founder (1977), Executive Director and Music Director/Conductor of the Providence Civic Orchestra of Senior Citizens. Vito’s motto, which he recited before every concert was, “The members of this orchestra, here to play for you, are proof that we senior citizens can still be productive.” This resolve was a testament of how Vito lived his entire life, by living each day to it’s fullest. Over the years Vito generously gave of his time volunteering and performing at orchestral events at schools, senior living facilities, the Rhode Island Veterans’ Home, and the like. Generations of children from Rhode Island still reminisce with awe and fondness, about his many orchestral visits to neighborhood schools.

Vito Saritelli was a passionate, loyal, kind, dedicated, devoted, loving, talented, faithful, and committed strong man, who chose a lifetime in service to others. He loved God, Country, his Family, his Friends, and the American Dream. He will be forever missed, always loved, and his spirit will continue to inspire others to greatness, for generations to come.

Visitation will be Thursday 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Pontarelli-Marino Home, 971 Branch Ave, Providence. Relatives and friends are invited to attend A Mass of Christian Burial Friday at 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, 30 Fenner St, Providence. Burial with military honors will follow in Swan Point Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Providence Civic Orchestra of Senior Citizens, 26 Robin Hood Rd, Cranston, RI 02921.