Vincent AMATO

AMATO, Vincent
Vincent Amato, 87 of Middletown, CT passed away peacefully Friday (August 10, 2012) at home with Phyllis his wife of 65 years by his side. Vinny was born in Middletown, the son of the late Rosindo and Josephine Amato. Throughout his life, Vinny was a prominent businessman and very active in political and civic affairs. When he was a boy in the 30's his heroes were pilots and at the age of 14 his hobby of building airplane models inspired him to start a hobby store in the corner of his father's plumbing supply business. After one year of studies at MIT in aeronautical engineering, he left school and entered the Army Air Corps Officer Training. He was discharged in 1946 as a Lieutenant Navigator for B29 Airplanes. Due to the growing success of his hobby business, after the war Vinny decided to follow his entrepreneurial spirit and entered into business with his father and mother. Over the years the Toy and Hobby departments grew as Amato's Store moved to various Main Street Middletown locations. In the 50's and 60's his business grew to 5 stores spread throughout Connecticut. He remained actively involved in the daily operations of his stores. In addition to his success as a local businessman Vinny served as President of the National Hobby Industry Association, and was recipient of numerous business awards including Connecticut Small Business Of The Year. An active advocate for local small business Vinny was always willing to share his advice and experience with any budding entrepreneur that stopped by his office. Vinny's motto was "If not you who?". He worked tirelessly as a member and leader of countless community and civic organizations. He was a founding member of the Jaycees, active in the United Fund, Community Chest, Middletown and New Britain Chambers of Commerce, a founder of the Middletown and Downtown Business Districts and a Corporator of Middlesex Hospital, Founder Of Industry For Middletown, Corporator of Liberty Bank and served on the board and as president of numerous other Middlesex county organizations. It is safe to say that for the past 60 years there were few community meetings in Middlesex County where Vinny's voice was not part of the discussion. A lifelong Republican, Vinny was politically active since 1947. Among the many positions he held were Chairman of the Middletown Republican Town Committee, member of the Republican State Central Committee For Connecticut and as a Reagan Delegate to the 1980 and 1984 National Republican Conventions. Vinny also served as elected city councilman for the City of Middletown. Vinny is survived by his wife Phyllis; his sons Peter Amato and his wife Theresa, Steven Amato and his wife Sheri; and his daughter Diane Gervais and her husband Joel; his sisters Jennie Amato and Nettie Grockowski; his brother-in-law Robert Green and his wife Kathy; his seven grandchildren, Amie Amato, Melissa Amato, Daniel Amato, Jesse Amato, Kaitlyn Amato, Michael Amato and Caroline Gervais; and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews. He is also pre-deceased by sister Lenore Green and brother in-law Frank Grockowski. The Amato family would like to thank the Middlesex Hospital healthcare system for their excellent care and assistance especially Dr. Otto Weis and Dr. Stephen Franklin. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The Middlesex Hospital.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday August 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, 310 Westfield St., Middletown. Relatives and friends may call at the D'Angelo Funeral Home, 22 South Main Street , Middletown on Monday, August 13 from 5-8 p.m.