VINCENT ALFRED DeLUCA Jr. M.D.

DeLUCA, VINCENT ALFRED, JR., M.D. Vincent Alfred DeLuca, Jr., M.D., 90, of Madison, CT passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 with his wife by his side. He was born on Staten Island the son of Vincent and Mary DeLuca. He attended Fordham University and Cornell University and then received his medical degree from the Long Island College of Medicine. He served in the United States Navy as a medical officer. He settled down in Woodbridge, CT and joined the medical staff at Griffin Hospital. There he became the Director of Medical Education, Chief of Staff and Chief of Medicine. He also started a Gastroenterology Fellowship Program with Yale University School of Medicine. He became a pioneer in the field of gastroenterology publishing numerous papers and receiving a Distinguished Award from the Connecticut Society of Internal Medicine in 1974. He was the president, Connecticut Chapter, of the American College of Physicians from 1975 through 1979. Outside of medicine he was an avid sportsman and outdoorsman. He loved to ski, play tennis, windsurf, scuba diving, swim, hike and sail. He also liked to eat good food and was a wine enthusiast. His true passion, however, was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. His calm personality, always positive attitude, and encouraging remarks helped everyone around him reach their highest goals. After he retired from medicine he started his second career in forestry. He audited courses at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences. He became Stewartship Coordinator of the Wolf Den Land Trust and Branford Land Trust where he managed open spaces, tidal marshes and forests. Vincent is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Shirley Sherman DeLuca, 6 children and their spouses, Deborah and Kevin Price, Dr. Jeffrey and Pamela DeLuca, Douglas and Vickie DeLuca, Cynthia and David Gagnon, Allison and Duane Crisco and Jennifer and Thomas Muldoon, 22 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. He will be greatly missed. A Mass will be held on Friday, August 28, 2015 at 11 AM at Saint Margaret Church, 24 Academy St., Madison, CT. Burial will be private at All Saints Cemetery in North Haven, immediately following Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Branford Land Trust.