Vincent J. "Sonny" Cammarata

CAMMARATA, Vincent J, of Revere, MA, passed away on February 28th, 2026, following a lengthy illness. Though Vincent was known by many names to those who knew and loved him, names like Vinnie, Sonny, and Papa, there is one title that described him with the most accuracy: Vinnie was a patriarch.

The word almost seems to have been conceived with him specifically in mind. He was the family leader, a constant source of love and wisdom that seemed to generate a gravitational field around him. Whenever his vast number of friends and family gathered, whether at a family gathering by his pool in Revere, in the basement of St. Mary's Church, or at a Palm Sunday brunch where he would repeatedly fold palm leaves into crosses for anybody that wanted one, people would walk in the door and immediately seek him out, wishing to interact with him in any way they could. He was the first to get a hug, a kiss on the cheek, or a handshake, and no one would ever dare leave without saying goodbye to him.

Vinnie was born in South Boston on April 28th, 1932, to Italian immigrants Domiano (John) and Filippa (Fannie) (née Amaru) Cammarata, who taught him, along with his brother Salvatore and sister Lucy, the importance of faith and family. From early on, Vinnie cherished the knowledge of his family's history from their roots in Pietraperzia, Sicily. He felt a sense of honor and pride when he traveled to the old country to see where it all started, and became a living, breathing connection to the past, cherishing every memory and sharing them with others.

In 1955, while serving in the United States Navy (he always joked about being a Navy man who never served on a boat), Vinnie met and married the love of his life and soulmate, Judy Mercurio, whom he loved with every fiber of his being until her passing in 2019.

For 64 years, they shared adventure after adventure along with their usual gang of cohorts that started as friends and became family. These friends were as close as close could be and shared every aspect of their lives. They shared dinners, bowling leagues, backyard parties featuring intense bocci games, and trip after trip together. They experienced Italy, Sicily, Alaska, Ireland, and more. When asked what his favorite trip was, Vinnie responded with a trip to Rome, where he and Judy, along with members of his church, received an audience with Pope John Paul II, yet no trip was as rewarding for them as family trips to see his beloved Italy and Sicily, and the series of Disney trips for each of their grandchildren.

A lifelong Roman Catholic, Vinnie had an awe-inspiring level of faith. He and his wife were prominent members of Saint Mary Of The Assumption Parish in Revere, serving in many roles to support his church in any way he could. Whenever a church event took place, everyone would know that Vinnie and Judy would be there helping out. For his whole life, his faith pushed him to truly serve as Christ challenged him, by bringing the church to others as an Eucharistic Minister, by donating time and money to his church and the less fortunate, and by befriending those who needed friendship the most. For years, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he and his wife were awarded a "Family of the Quarter" award in 2005. In 2015, Vinnie was awarded the prestigious Bishop Cheverus Medal, bestowed by the Archdiocese of Boston on a select few who stand out for their devotion to their parishes and communities.

Yet with all his successes in life, including retiring after a highly successful career in sales for Ben Franklin Smith Printing in Boston, he cherished his family more than anything else. Judy and Vinnie were given the gift of three adoring daughters, Susan, Cheryl, and Phyllis, who, in turn, blessed them with seven grandchildren and three great-granddaughters who will always remember him singing to them in Italian and making them laugh at family dinners. We can still see him sitting at the head of the table, favoring his cheap Sicilian wine while having a (sometimes heated) political discussion with his sons-in-law. He loved them all deeply and was never afraid to show it. Tears of joy were shed at every engagement announcement, wedding, every birth, every death, and sometimes at silly little things that happened during family gatherings.

His family included countless cousins, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, all of whom regarded Vinnie as a second father, rather than just a family member. His extended family was, and remains, a tight-knit community because of the example he provided. He truly was, and will remain, the patriarch of the family.

Vinnie is survived by his daughter Susan and husband James Forte of Saugus, daughter Cheryl Cammarata of Revere, daughter Phyllis and husband Thomas Yewcic of Stoneham, her granddaughter Kristen and husband Ryan Flynn of Merrimack, New Hampshire, granddaughters Elizabeth Forte of Beverly, Meredith and her husband Brian Romanowski of Kingston, New Hampshire, Michala Stavrinos of Revere, granddaughters Janelle and Julia Yewcic and grandson Thomas Yewcic, all of Stoneham, and great granddaughters Mia, Madeline and Theodora. He is also survived by countless cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and admirers, all of whom he loved and adored.

Visiting Hours are Tuesday, March 3rd from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Vertuccio Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals., 262 Beach St., Revere, all and are invited to gather at the funeral home on Wednesday, March 4th at 10:00a.m., to prepare and proceed to a Funeral Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 670 Washington Ave., Revere at 11:00 a.m., immediately followed by interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: New England Pediatric Care for the wonderful work they continue to do for his granddaughter, Janelle. (https://nepc.org/donations/).