Louis Vanaria

He was born on October 17, 1925 in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants from Sicily. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in NYC, and earned three degrees from Columbia University: a BA in 1948, an MA in 1949 and a PhD in 1958. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant navigator in the Army Air Corp and served during WW II from 1943 to 1945.

He taught social studies at Bedford Hills High School from 1949 to 1953 and was an instructor of social studies at Columbia from 1953 to 1957. He joined the faculty at Cortland College in 1957 as the first professor of secondary social studies where he led the development of the Graduate Studies Program for educators. During this time at SUNY Cortland, Dr. Vanaria chaired the History Department from 1970 to 1979, coordinating the visiting Asian Scholars Program, taught an extremely popular New York state history class and served on countless departmental, divisional and college committees. He retired in 1990 after more than 33 years at SUNY Cortland and was designated Professor Emeritus of American History.

Dr. Vanaria also served 25 years as the book review editor for Social Education, the official journal of the National Council for Social Studies. He was a member of the Publications Committee of the Cortland Historical Society and authored several essays on Italian immigrants, including a 75th Anniversary History of St. Anthony’s Day in Cortland: “La Festa in Central New York “ and “From Many Roots: Immigrants and Ethnic Groups in the History of Cortland County”. As a member of the Cortland City Planning Commission, he chaired the Zoning Task Force and assisted in implementing a major revision of the city zoning ordinance in 1978. He was also a long time member of the Cortland Rotary Club, serving as president from 1984 to 1985.

He was a proud 1st generation Italian-American, and a number of his publications including “Remembering Columbus: A Quincentennial Essay” were included in a time capsule as part of the 1992 Cortland County Christopher Columbus 500 Qunicentenary Jubilee. For years his annual Columbus Day Letter to the Editor in the Cortland Standard expertly chronicled the historical and continuing significance of the famous explorer’s voyages.

He spent countless hours cheering on his favorite New York Giants and entertaining family and friends with historical anecdotes filled with amazing details of the country of which he lived his life.

Dr. Vanaria is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marianne Ficalora of Jensen beach, FL, his four daughters Marianne Vanaria (Thomas) Seilheimer of Magnolia, DE, Linda Vanaria Melazzo of Chicago, IL, Kathy Vanaria (Robert) Baker of Highland Park IL, and Diane Vanaria of Chicago, IL, his four grandchildren Jessica Seilheimer, Jeremy Seilheimer, Liza Baker and Callie Baker, and one great-granddaughter Morgan Seilheimer.

Memorial contributions may be made to Treasure Coast Hospice, St. Lucie Hospice House, 5090 Dunn Rd. Fort Pierce, FL 34981

A family service will be private .

Arrangements entrusted to Aycock Funeral Home, Jensen Beach, FL.

Please visit www.aycockjensenbeach.com to sign Louis’s guest book.