Valentino Cesidio De Vito

Liberty Township- Valentino Cesidio De Vito, patriarch of the De Vito family in America, died on November 16, 2015 in the home he and our Mother made for us. Valentino sacrificed beyond measure to ensure a better life for his family, and to provide his children with all the opportunities in life that he was denied.

Born on Valentine's Day in the tiny village of Bugnara, Provincia d'LAquila, Abruzzo, Italy, to loving parents Francesca Pasquale and Ludovico De Vito, Valentino's early life was marked by the poverty of the Great Depression and then, the horrors of WWII. During the war, he experienced hunger, fear, and when his village was occupied by the Nazis, forced labor, violence, and deprivation. Born with tremendous intelligence and stunning good looks, he excelled in academics, particularly mathematics, literature and history. In Italy, Valentino attained a diploma of Classical Lyceum, and then attended La Sapienza University in Rome after the war. He served in the prestigious Alpine Troops from 1950-1951. Since Italy's post-war economic conditions were bleak, Valentino found that he was unable to use his many talents and gifts for the betterment of his family, and he realized that the only place he could have the opportunity to excel was in the United States of America.

Valentino married Niva Di Bacco of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1952 in Bugnara, and they came to the U.S. to start their lives together. With the help of Niva's sister and brother-in-law, Steve and Evelyn Sebestyen, they traveled to Youngstown, where Valentino worked for four years at Youngstown Sheet and Tube. He later worked at Loblaw’s Warehouse in Austintown for fifteen years, and when the company left the area, he found work at Cold Metal Products, from which he retired in 1991 after nearly 20 years. He also drove a school bus for Liberty Local Schools for several years. In the evenings and weekends he tutored many high school students in mathematics, Latin, and Italian throughout the years. Valentino was active in Teamsters Local 377 and Steelworkers Local 3047, where he served as financial secretary for four years.

Among his many activities both while he worked and through his retirement years, Valentino served as treasurer and financial secretary for the Sons of Italy Lodge 858. He was elected to the Liberty Local School Board and served from 1979 to 1983. A lifelong aficionado of opera, Valentino held several offices for the Youngstown Opera Guild (YOG), including president for four years, and treasurer for eight. For nearly fifteen years he organized YOG bus trips to opera performances in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

For nearly 40 years, Valentino served as a Corrispondente for the Italian Consulate in Detroit. In this capacity, he helped thousands of Italian Americans from across the U.S. obtain Italian pensions. He also translated and generated official legal documents recognized by the Italian government. Recently, he translated from English to Italian nearly all the documents and testimonies which were sent to the Vatican in the effort to obtain sainthood for Mother Teresa Casini, founder of the Oblate Sisters. For his many contributions to promoting Italian culture, teaching and helping people, Valentino was honored as the 2004 Man of the Year by the Youngstown Italian Heritage Foundation.

Education was paramount to Valentino, and he modeled for his family a lifelong thirst for knowledge. Never a believer in summers off from school, Valentino held daily morning classes for his four children during their elementary years. As a lover of all things Italian, he taught language and culture classes to adults and children in the evenings for 12 years. In 1974, and while working full time, he achieved his dream of attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from YSU, from which all of his children and three of his grandchildren graduated as well. Valentino was a prolific reader, enjoying in particular European, Italian, and American history. He also read literature and poetry extensively. Valentino enjoyed traveling, gardening, and winemaking, particularly when he could share his wine with his wonderful neighbors. Up until recently, he enjoyed playing poker on Thursdays in Struthers with his friends.

Valentino’s legacy continues in the loving family he adored, including his wife, Niva, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage; daughters Diana De Vito; Frances Tanner, her husband Wayne, and their children Allison Tanner and Gregory Tanner, M.D. and his fiancée Megan McHenry; his sons, Valentino De Vito, PH.D., his wife, Claudia, and their daughter Elizabeth; and son Peter De Vito, M.D., his wife Cynthia and their three children, Beatrice Olesko, her husband Nick and Valentino’s first great-grandchild, Amelia Olesko, and sons Peter De Vito Jr. and Robert De Vito. Valentino leaves a brother, Michele “Mike” De Vito and his wife Dolores, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews in the United States and Italy. Valentino was particularly proud of the achievements of his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and never stopped encouraging us to continue our education and service to society. He was a legend in our family, and left an enduring influence on people he met everywhere. He was loved and respected by many.

Calling hours will be held from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, November 27, 2015 at the Schiavone Funeral Home in Youngstown, and Father Frank Zanni will conduct a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am on November 28, 2015 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Vienna, where Valentino has been a member for 50 years. 

Addio, Papa. Ti ameremo per sempre. Ciao! 

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