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Vivetta Petronio Obituary
Dr. Vivetta G. Petronio passed peacefully from this life, on July 29, 2015.
A lifelong resident of Erie, Dr. Petronio was well known for her distinguished academic career and her professional academic accomplishments. She was born on August 30, 1936, in Collercovino, Province of Pescara, and Abruzzo region of Italy, and arrived in America as a young child.
Dr. Petronio was a model student while attending Erie Public Schools, and graduated from Academy High School with honors. She matriculated from Mercyhurst College, with high academic distinction, and was the first recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship by a Mercyhurst student. As a Fulbright Scholar, she attended the University of Paris, studying French culture, history and language, and also studied at Lyon, France. Afterwards she attended and earned her Ph.D. from Yale University, with distinction, and was offered a faculty position by Yale University. upon completion of her doctorate. Dr. Petronio declined Yale's offer and accepted a faculty position with Mercyhurst College, in order to care for her elderly parents, who immigrated to America from Italy. She taught languages and humanities at Mercyhurst College for over forty years, and held many Departmental Chairmanships, Faculty Senate positions, and the esteem and respect of her colleagues. She was also honored as Women of the Year by the Italian-American Association. Her other personal and academic accomplishments are too numerous to list here.
Louis and Matilda Petronio preceded their daughter in death, but not before witnessing their dream of a better life for their children, by coming to America. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters, during their early childhood.
She is survived by her brother, Carlo Petronio of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and one sister, Sister Elisabeth Lintsen of Erie. She will be sadly missed by her many friends, neighbors, colleagues and former students.
Throughout her lifetime Dr. Petronio enjoyed extensive travel vacations. Some of her favorite countries included Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Australia, and Canada. She also was a very philanthropic person supporting many causes for children, veterans, homeless, animals, habitat for humanity and St. Paul's Church.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Friends may call on Friday, at the Francis V. Kloecker Funeral Home, Inc., 2502 Sassafras St., Erie, PA 16502, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and are invited to the Funeral Mass on Saturday, at St. Luke Church, at 9 a.m. Send condolences to www.kloeckerfuneralhome.com. Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery.
Sign the Guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Vivetta Petronio
Kathy Murray
July 24, 2024
It has been 9 years since Dr. Vivetta Petronio departed from this earthly life. It is special, refreshing and deeply meaningful to reread about her tremendous life. It is a refresher to me on how to live fully, with purpose with expansion!! I so wish I knew her more at Mercyhurst. I can only hope to try to live as well and to meet people like Dr. Vivetta Petronio. Soar with the angels and thank you!!
Kathy Murray
Class of 1977 Mercyhurst College
Pittsburgh, PA
Kathy Murray
July 24, 2021
Wow! I am rereading Dr. Vivetta Petronio's obituary and tributes. I am so proud to be a Mercyhurst Alum because of the incredible education, the dedicated and talented faculty, my accomplished colleagues/friends. Mercyhurst continues to set the standard, values to living a productive, meaningful and good life. What a great woman!!!
Kathy Murray,
Mercyhurst Class of 1977
Ann Houghton
September 2, 2015
I am forever grateful to Dr. Petronio for her superb teaching and lifelong inspiration. I wish her only the best in the next part of her journey.
Eileen Sullivan
August 5, 2015
I was saddened to learn that I will be unable to renew my friendship with Vi in the fall. . .she has departed two months too soon. We were friends and colleagues in the 60s but lost touch. She was such a multi-faceted person, so modest, so kind. My sympathy to Sister Elisabeth and Carlo.
Jayne Cudzil
August 4, 2015
This poem was written c.1983 and has now been completed and corrected:
For Vivetta
by Jayne C.
I love you more than all the things you mean to me.
I love you more than all the times when I'm exhaulted,
Or catapaulted into dreams and rhymes and songs
And trips to places too far away for me to reach.
I love you in this time,
And hope that it is not too much
To ask dearest God to lend me life with you.
Not life at home in rooms and spaces,
A life of knowing you're not too far away to reach.
Truly, God will hear this cry,
And that is why I'll let you go
And not submit to selfishness:
The demon's urge to keep you in my grip.
For though I've reaped the fruits and reaped the love of your sweet wine,
I know that beyond the limits of my heart
And all the things you mean to me
Is Someone more than me,
To whom I must give time.
You are a beauty of this world.
And it is not for eyes to see
Nor ears to hear.
One embrace again would be enough.
Bauldaire would cry to find the prose.
The rose itself should bow to you and blush.
For there, within the chambers of your heart,
are the seeds of God's forgiving Holy Spirit,
which the greatest of the sowers
which the greatest of the sowers
Have long time sought to sow.
1981 in Campus Ministry waiting to join her sister, Sr. Elisabeth for lunch.
August 3, 2015
David McQuillen
August 2, 2015
An incredible woman. When I was at Mercyhurst, she was quite an influence on me. An incredibly enthusiastic, generous, thoughtful, intelligent & fun person to be around. I'll cherish her memory. Thank you, Vivetta, for everything.
Kathy Murray
August 1, 2015
May the angels lead this very fine person into paradise and conduct her to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Dr. Vivetta Petronio is now an angel! With sincere sympathy to her brother, to Sr. Elisabeth, and her many friends.
Kathy Murray
August 1, 2015
May the angels lead this very fine person into paradise and conduct her to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Dr. Vivetta Petronio is now an angel! With sincere sympathy to her brother, to Sr. Elisabeth, and her many friends.
Steve and Linda Frisina
July 31, 2015
We were deeply saddened to learn of Vivetta's passing. Her dignity, humility, and compassion made a wonderful lasting impression on us. We feel privileged to have known her.
Tom Forsthoefel
July 31, 2015
When I was a junior faculty colleague at Mercyhurst years ago, Vivetta modeled such professionalism, skill, calm, and kindness to me. What a great example of an outstanding academic, teacher, and person. It was an honor to know her and work with her.
Bonnie James Shaker
July 31, 2015
Those of us who were her students know just how fortunate we were to be on the receiving end of her teaching, scholarship, mentoring, and lifelong friendship. She will be deeply, deeply missed.
Jayne Cudzil
July 30, 2015
Dr. Petronio, in an interview with the Mercyhurst Magazine, was once quoted saying: "Those who haven't known me as a teacher really don't know me". She had a passion for learning and teaching. She was one of my professors during the years of 1979 through 1984. It was an honor to be her student of Writing, French Language and culture as well as being tutored in French pronunciation and literature. She was also my professor of Italian. In addition she was my boss and honored me by accepting me as her secretary while heading the Egan Scholar program and chairing the Department of English and Modern languages. As the years progressed and College years ended for me, she knew and accepted me as friend.
Her knowledge and talent went far beyond the limits of those
positions. Having a beautiful voice and at one time singing in the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, she incorporated traditional French and Italian music into classroom studies. In addition she had a profound love for the music and voice of Italian Opera. She taught diction to many of the Colleges finest Voice majors.
She was the first to introduce the suggestion of a language laboratory to the College, although it being a time of economic recession, it took years in the making. It
exists today and was instrumental in assisting the College to achieve University status.
Understanding my melancholy and lassitude at times, she shared her understanding of psychology and philosophy. She was able to solve the problematics of existentialism with an arguement for love and altruism, meaning selfless giving.
She taught with special interest the definitions and examples of errors in reasoning, some of these being: undefined terms, name calling, begging the question, inadequate sampling, equivocation, post hoc reasoning, non sequitars, false disjunction, false analogy, and arguement ad hominem. One of her favorite directives was "if you don't know something, look it up."
She always cautioned her studentsto always note the source of any ideas which were not his or her own. She also noted well that to become a good writer, one ought to leave the reader wanting to hear more.
Vivetta, meaning "little life", will be profoundly missed. She lived a life of love and largesse.
Tu me manque, Vivette.
with love
June & Chris Laird
July 30, 2015
As a former French student of Dr. Petronio, she was the most brilliant, dedicated Professor I ever had. My husband, Chris, and I got to know her as a precious friend who was the epitome of pure goodness and love. Now she is our angel.
July 30, 2015
Dr. Petronio was a brilliant teacher and wonderful person with a heart of gold. I was fortunate to have her as a professor and mentor but most of all as a friend. My prayers go out to her brother and Sister Elisabeth.
Michael McQuillen
July 30, 2015
She was truly a wonderful person. I feel honored to have known her as a colleague and a friend. She epitomized what made Mercyhurst College so special.
Joy McQuillen
July 30, 2015
As a young family moving to Erie to teach at Mercyhurst College, Vivetta welcomed all of us into her family. We have so many fond memories of dinners and visits with Elizabeth, Daddy and Vivetta. David, our oldest, gave the eulogy at Daddy's funeral. Vivetta has joined her family that has passed before her. We all love her and send best wishes for a lovely reunion.
Ginny Gorsak DeGironimo
July 30, 2015
As one of her French majors from the class of 1965, I have many good memories of her classroom presence. She has been and will be fondly remembered by many.
Sylvia Colson
July 30, 2015
I attended Mercyhurst with her, she was a beautiful and kind person. I know she will be missed.
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