VINCENT S. VENDICE

1929 - 2020

VENDICE, Vincent S. Vincent S. Vendice Vincent S. Vendice, 91, of Pocasset, died peacefully in his Cape Cod home on December 4. Vincent was born in Medford, MA in 1929 to the late Louis Vendice, of Gaeta, Italy and Eleonora (DeNapoli) Vendice, of Livorno, Italy. After graduating from Medford High School, he enlisted in the National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves where he served until his honorable discharge in 1953. During and after his service in the National Guard, he completed training as a welder and began work as a contractor for Park L. Davis Company where he was hired out to the Boston Globe. He eventually became a full-time employee of the Globe and proudly ran their sheet metal shop for over 50 years, solving complex design tasks and engineering unique one-of-a-kind solutions and workarounds for any and all challenges and roadblocks that arose in the day to day operation of a major newspaper company. A dedicated family man, Vinnie worked multiple '2nd' jobs, most notably at the Newton TAB newspaper where he made additional lifelong friendships. In 2012 he retired from the Boston Globe at the age of 82. Vinnie was a brilliant and creative craftsman, and a keen observer of design and architecture. He was always conjuring up ways to make something he found interesting on his own. He loved to fix and create things such as stained glass windows, household improvements, boating hardware, a dollhouse and other feats of art and craft. Some of his most coveted creations were upgrades to his Caddy convertible: a custom cooler housed under the hood that delivered a perfectly mixed scotch and water through a spigot mounted in his ashtray, and a turntable in the glove box to play his favorite records for apres ski. There was no challenge too big or daunting for him. If you had a problem, Vinnie had a solution. In addition to his love for his trade, Vinnie was a man of many passions. He loved to garden — a hobby inherited from his father— and he nurtured his vegetable garden as lovingly as he did his peachtree and his easter lilies, bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to family, friends and neighbors. He was an excellent cook, and loved to prepare Italian food. His sauces and holiday antipastos were always in high demand. He loved music of almost any genre, from polka to rock and roll. In his younger years, he was quick to pull out the ukulele and strum a song and often transported his full hifi stereo system to wherever he was spending the weekend; and well into his 80s it was nearly impossible to drag him off the dance floor at weddings and other affairs. But it was a good Pavarotti Opera that could bring tears to his eyes; his favorite, the operetta The Merry Widow. He loved to socialize, and coveted Friday nights at The Chart Room, dining, sipping international stingers, listening to live piano, reveling with friends, and occasionally dancing (even at age 91). But perhaps his most impactful passion was skiing. Vinnie joined the Clipped Wings Ski Club in 1959 and it was through this club that he met many of his closest lifelong friends. The Clipped Wings provided the setting for his most memorable young-adult hijinxes and took him on multiple cherished trips to the Italian & Swiss Alps. But most importantly, it brought him together with Claire, his beloved wife of 56 years, with whom he had four daughters and created many enduring memories. Claire and Vinnie raised their family in Newton, MA, with summers spent in Newport, RI and then Pocasset, and cherished family ski trips "up country" to New Hampshire and Maine, and "out west" to Colorado and British Columbia. They loved to entertain and their New Year's Eve parties were legendary affairs. When Vinnie retired from the Globe, he and Claire moved to Pocasset permanently and he enjoyed retirement tending his garden, driving his MG, tinkering on projects, spending time with family and good friends, and enjoying visits from his grandchildren. Vinnie lived his long life to its very fullest asking every day: "Does it get any better than this?" His orbital of family, friends and lives he touched would be hard to overstate. He loved and was loved deeply by so many. His family meant everything to him, and he was always quick to offer praise, doling out the familiar "I'm proud of you" liberally. His warmth, enduring sense of humor, and love of adventure left lasting impressions on everyone who had the good fortune to cross his path. He appreciated the smallest of gestures; he always saw the glass as half-full; he was quick to help a friend (or perfect stranger) in need; and he always made those around him laugh (or cringe) with his constant supply of at-the-ready one-liners. Those who knew him often quote "Vinnie-isms." Vinnie was predeceased by his parents and his sister Marie Padenski. He is survived by Claire and his four daughters and sons-in-law: Beth Vendice and Alan Quaglieri; Jean Vendice and Edward Sondey; Jennifer and Robert Vey; and Nancy Vendice and Christopher Southwood. He also leaves behind his wonderful brother, Louis Vendice and wife Jan, and 5 deeply beloved grandchildren: Isabel, Jessica (Jessie), James, Andrew (Drew) and Otto. Sweet Mother...We will miss him dearly. His was truly a life well lived. Due to the COVID crisis, Funeral Services will be private. Internment will be determined at a later date. Remembrances may be made in Vinnie's name to the Cape Cod Alzheimer's Family Support Center, 2095 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631. Arrangements by the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 40 MacArthur Blvd., BOURNE, MA.

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