Vincenza (Vinci) Formale was born on August 6th, 1924, to Guiseppe Vinci and Francesca (Di Maria) Vinci in the Bronx, New York. At around the age of 8 years old, her mother died unexpectedly of an infection prompting her father to return to his and his wife’s birth place, Sortino, Siracusa in Sicily, Italy, looking for a new wife to help care for his 2 young children, Vi and Chester (2 years younger). This upset his children so much that they refused to eat which forced him to return to the Bronx where he bought a fruit/vegetable truck to provide for his family. On his route, he met Quintilia Cecchette, widowed with a daughter, Tina, the same age as Vi. Quintilia was a loving step-mother, never showing favoritism and treating the girls as twins. They went to school together in the Bronx, attending PS 34 Grammar School and onto Roosevelt High School. Vi often talked of her cousin, Jennie Scamporlino, dragging her to the dance halls in the area including the Roseland Ballroom in NYC and the Chester House in Parkchester. She met Tony (Antonio P. Formale) through a friend, a sweet talking, personable World War II veteran who loved to dance. They married on October 2nd, 1950, at St. Dominick’s Catholic Church and they first lived on Carpenter Ave. in the Bronx, where they had their first two children, daughters Frances, in 1954, and Margherita, in 1956, named after their maternal and paternal grandmothers respectively. Soon afterwards, they purchased a two family house together with Tony’s brother, Mario, his wife Grace, and her mother-in-law, Margherita, on Seddon St. near Westchester Square in the Bronx. It was there she had her two sons, Anthony, in 1958 and Joseph, in 1962. Vi worked hard to raise 4 children and to send them to Catholic schools which caused her to seek employment first as a lunch counter girl at Woolworth’s and then became a bookkeeper following her love for numbers and mathematics. Vi was able to maintain her own checkbook by hand well into her 90’s. After many happy years on Seddon Street, Vi and Tony moved to the Eastchester Road/Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx. As the children progressed through high school and began getting married, she became a widow at the age of 56 when Tony died of throat and mouth cancer in early 1981. In 1995, after all her children married, she moved into her daughter Margaret’s mother/daughter house in Bedford, NY, and Grams (as Margaret’s children called her) was there every day at the bus stop to meet the children and bring them home from school. Her dining room in the Bedford house was used to host weekly Sunday dinners to her family of 19 children and grandchildren. She was a big part of their growing up years. Vi moved with Margaret to Easton, PA, in January, 2013. She lived there as her family continued to grow with many great grandchildren, babysitting and sharing years of happy birthdays and holiday celebrations with them. In February, 2020, she suffered a serious fall fracturing her pelvis in 3 places and hand and during rehab at Kirkland Village, was placed under quarantine due to the Covid19 pandemic. From there, she was transferred to the Easton Home, an assisted living facility and remained there under Covid restrictions until she passed on May 30th, 2021. She will always be remembered for her strong will, work ethic, family values, generosity and most of all, love of children. There was always a place at her dinner table for anyone who entered her house and invited to enjoy her famous meatballs and macaroni. And she loved her soups!

Vincenza Vinci Formale died May 30th 2021, beloved wife of the late Antonio P. Formale. Devoted mother to Frances Formale Sibrizzi (Joseph), Margherita Formale Long (Edward), Anthony J. Formale (Lauren) and the late Joseph V. Formale (Catherine). Adored grandmother to Jack Sibrizzi (Christi), Christopher Sibrizzi (Ashley), Mary Long Wayock (Matthew), Toni Long Nass (Michael), Denis Long (Sarah), Andrew Formale, Dana Formale (Mackenzie), Michael Formale, Rachel Formale, Gabriella Formale. Great-Grandmother (in age order) to Mackenzie Wayock, Madelyn Nass, Makayla Wayock, Jack Sibrizzi Jr, Tessa Nass, Leo Sibrizzi, Max Wayock, Emma Long, Cole Nass, Ryan Long, Beau Sibrizzi, Penelope Sibrizzi, Macy Wayock, Matthew Long, Elliya Nass and Nolan Sibrizzi.

In lieu of flower donations, please donate to www.psl.org/donate. Both the Easton Home and Kirkland Rehab are a part of Presbyterian Senior Living which took such great care of Vi during the final year of her life. Please mention that you would like your gift to support the Easton Home in honor of Vincenza Formale.