Vincent G. Sittnick

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Vincent George Sittnick of Virginia Beach, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. His life was spent in service to others. He was devoted to his family, our country and his Catholic faith. He was married to the love of his life, Gertrude Theresa McLaughlin Sittnick, for 64 years. In the years before her death, he devoted himself to caring for her in their home. Vince Sittnick was born in Providence, R.I., on July 23, 1914. In his early teens, he was left to care for and raise his two younger sisters. He was a fireman with the Providence Fire Department before joining the Army during World War II. He was a combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He proudly served our country in the Army for 33 years, living all around the world and retiring at the rank of command sergeant major. He was a faithful and tireless supporter of each Catholic community he belonged to. After his retirement, he served as a cantor, lector and Eucharistic minister with Church of the Good Shepherd Chapel at NAS Oceana for more than 25 years. He was an avid Boston Red Sox and baseball fan and spent many hours umpiring youth and service games. He was very rarely ever stumped by a crossword puzzle or word jumble. After retiring from the Army and in his 60s, he earned his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Old Dominion University. He was an excellent bowler and bowled in several leagues well into his late 80s. He is survived by his children and their spouses who he loved so very much: Ruth Mary Devlin and her husband, Steve, and Kathleen Haskins Rigney and her husband, Durk, all of Virginia Beach; Julie Smith and her husband, Bruce, of Melrose, Fla.; retired Chief Warrant Officer 3 Vince Sittnick of Fayetteville, N.C.; Charles Sittnick of Bowling Green, Ohio; retired Col. Tom Sittnick and his wife, Angela, of Douglasville, Ga.; and retired Col. Dr. Stephen Sittnick and his wife, Cava, of Leavenworth, Kan. He was immensely proud of his 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral Mass will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, at First Landing Chapel at Fort Story. A prayer service will be held at 7:30 tonight at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments Laskin Road Chapel in Virginia Beach. Burial with full military honors will be held at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery. The family would like to thank the staff at Baylake Retirement and Assisted Living Center for the care and hospitality extended to both of their parents during their time there. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Army Emergency Relief Fund, 200 Stovall St., Alexandria, VA 22332. For those attending the service at Fort Story, you are encouraged to use the gate at Atlantic Avenue. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.hdoliver.com. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments Laskin Road Chapel is handling arrangements.