Vincent (“Vinnie”) Pietro Trionfo was born on September 24, 1970. He was our son, brother, husband, father, pop-pop and friend, taken too soon and too suddenly by pancreatitis. He passed away September 16, 2017.
The second of seven children, Vince grew up in Maryland in the “Box Hill” home that backed up to a forest where he and his siblings would ride bikes and construct skateboard ramps. He played baseball and loved to cook, even climbing on the counter to cook when he was in elementary school. With his dark hair and eyes, a mean mullet and a muscle shirt, the 80’s were good to Vince. He was a trickster who famously slipped his little brother ex-lax during a road trip.
After school, Vince joined the military for a short period before graduating in culinary arts. The kids love his pizza, homemade raviolis, pot roast and cucumber salad. Vince had a very technical mind with an exceptional ability to diagnose vehicles. He loved computers and soon put his skill at mechanics to work in an auto shop, eventually owning his own.
Ever since Vince was four or five years old, his mom would take the kids to Florida to visit family and friends, like the Almeidas. Dawn Marie Almeida thought Vince was cute but that was as far as it went until Vince moved to Florida as an adult in 1992. He pulled into her Barefoot Bay neighborhood literally minutes after a tornado hit. Seeing the debris, he walked the street and ran into Dawn, wearing her Winn Dixie uniform and carrying her oldest child Wayne on her hip. They started seeing each other two years later. Vince loved Dawn like crazy and was just as loyal to her three kids, loving them as his own. He and Dawn were married for nineteen years and had three more girls who say Vince was the most hard-working father anyone could ask for. Vince and Dawn shared their love freely, fighting hard to care for and eventually adopt their nephew, Chance, when he was seven years old.
Vince would do anything for his kids and spent most of his time with them. He coached his girls’ softball team and was president of the Sebastian Sharks football league for several years. His granddaughter thinks the sun rises and sets on Vince. His last vacation was a visit to RayLynn’s new home in Colorado.
Family reunions brought Vince’s loud voice and louder laughter. He was a definite presence in any room, with sarcasm in one hand and a beer in the other. No one was ornerier than Vince, but no one had a bigger heart. The mechanic shop he owned and operated for fifteen years, Vinny’s Family Auto, has pictures of his wife, kids, dogs, and granddaughters on every surface and wall.
Vince is survived by his parents Ken and Karen Trionfo and Janet Lizor; his siblings Kenny, Giovanna, Angelina, Mike, Giolina and Talia; his wife Dawn Marie; his children Wayne, Misty, Jessilynn, Alina, Brianna, Ambrea, and Chance, his granddaughters RayLynn and Melody, and his grandmother Mary.
A GoFundMe has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/vince-trionfo for Vince’s wife and children to help with expenses related to his passing. We all want Vince’s family taken care of. Vince, we’re here to continue where you left off. We love you and miss you more than you probably ever would have guessed.
Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life for Vince beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 in the LDS Chapel located at 3960 12th St, Vero Beach. Guests are encouraged to wear casual clothes. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the GoFundMe account, or you may look up your local Boys and Girls club to see if they have needs you might be able to meet.
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