Michael Angelo Vitone Sr.

Michael Angelo Vitone was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of "stick to it" attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

       His parents were Elizabeth Francis Musser and Angelo Orlando Vitone. Michael was raised in Los Angeles, California. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Vitone household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Michael was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Michael was raised with one sibling. He had one older sister Donna Vitone. Michael was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Michael and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Michael was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, Michael was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn't pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Michael developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Michael took part in baseball. In his spare time he liked collecting baseball cards. However, what Michael enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Michael handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Michael was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Michael was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Michael well during his college experience. He earned his Medical Admisinstration (Heritage College).

      Always considered to be a solid friend, Michael was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Michael was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Michael to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Seeva, Albozio, Rich, Armando Freitas. Later in life, he became friends with Ernest and George.

      On May 9, 1970 Michael exchanged wedding vows with Odilia Longoria at the St. Christopher Catholic Church of North Las Vegas, Nevada. Compassionate and devoted to Odilia, Michael held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Odilia and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      Michael brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Michael was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Michael was blessed with three children, two sons, Michael and Anthony Vitone and one daughter Laura Vitone. They were also blessed with 1 grandchild, Samantha Vitone.

      Michael greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Michael enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Michael was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was convention services at Bally's Hotel. He was employed for 3 years by Bally's and the Convention Services. Michael worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Michael was an Army veteran. He was in the Vietnam War. Michael saw action for nearly 2 years in the Vietnam War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Infantryman. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded Purple Heart in Comandation Metal. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Michael seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      Michael liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Michael always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were traveling. Michael was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Michael was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Christopher's Catholic Church for 4 years. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      Michael sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Michael many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included Purple Heart, Employee of the Month at U. S. Security.

      Michael enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Michael appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Michael always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included fishing in Southern Utah (Duck Creek), Family visiting in Virginia.

      Michael was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Michael's favorites was Lady Sis, a pugg dog. They were best friends for 8 years.

      Michael Angelo Vitone passed away on December 29, 2009 at Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital. Dad fought a brave battle against cancer, He was a trooper. He is survived by his wife, Odilia, three Kids, Mike, Anthony and Laura, one grandchild Samantha Vitone. Services were held at ST. Christopher's Catholic Church. Michael was laid to rest in Southern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Michael Angelo Vitone. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.