Vitale, Anita Antoinette (DiStefano), of St. Louis, Missouri, passed away on September 14th, 2021, in her hometown after a fulfilling life at the age of 98. Born almost a decade before the Great Depression, Anita has survived and conquered for many decades. She was a dedicated student throughout her childhood in a line of educated women with strong Sicilian roots. Anita was awarded full scholarships to high school and college. She found her husband Dr. Pasquale (Peter) Vitale, also of St. Louis, Missouri, during a dental society dance in her early 20s and built a family destined for success. Anita was a master of cuisine and while she loved cooking for everyone, meals for her family were infused with the warmth of her dynamic spirit and love. Anita was a prolific fundraiser for charities, including the St. Louis Dental Society Outreach Programs, Mill Hill Fathers, Medical Mission Sisters and the Lady of the Snows.
She was deceptively cunning when it came to mathematics and financial matters. Anita's artistic passion overflowed into her vibrant oil paintings, brushing her first canvas as Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon. Anita was a perfectionist in many areas of her life, especially the tidiness of her home - able to spot a speck of dirt several feet away.
Anita was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Frances DiStefano, both of Campobello, Sicily, as well as her loving husband, Dr. Pasquale Antonio Vitale. She is also predeceased by her younger brother, Giovanni, who passed in his infancy.
Anita is survived by her four children: Daughter, Anita Marie DiPasco (Dr. Donald DiPasco) and two grandchildren: Donald DiPasco (Holly) and Dr. Peter DiPasco (Annie), and multiple loving great-grandchildren. Son, Dr. Stephen Joseph Vitale (Frances) and three grandchildren: Peter Christian Vitale (Leslie), Lelia Vitale Davis (Dr. Bryan Davis), Elizabeth Vitale, and multiple loving great-grandchildren. Daughter, Mari Frances Vitale and one grandchild: Dr. Michael Flom, and Son, Dr. Joseph Peter Vitale and one grandchild: Andrew Vitale.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my Trust in You.
Services: Funeral Mass and interment are private. Anita will be passed into the earth alongside many members of the extended Vitale family. A service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory. Friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.
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