Beloved father and grandpa, Thomas “Tom” Joseph Vittor, born on July 20, 1934, passed away on November 23, 2025, in Leawood, Kansas.
Tom grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey where he honed his skills in various construction trades, which eventually led him to a lifetime career as a dry wall contractor. He was a selfless man who rarely took vacations and worked tirelessly to provide for his family. Tom proudly served in the United States Army, including a stint in Iceland well before it became a popular tourist destination. He never could understand why anyone would go there voluntarily!
On May 7, 1960, he married the former Norma Schwierk of Union, New Jersey. Together, they raised three children, Glen, Gwen, and Greg, in Suffern, New York. In the early 2000’s, Tom moved to Louisburg, Kansas, to be closer to his beloved grandchildren.
Tom was a lifelong New York Yankees fan and he shared his love of baseball with his two sons as the manager of both of their Little League teams. After he moved to Kansas, he was a fixture in the bleachers of his grandsons’ baseball games and he never missed one of their many basketball games.
A quiet and unassuming man, Tom was dedicated to his family, who will remember him for his loyalty, kindness, ingenuity, and especially his dry sense of humor. An all-around handyman, he often took on projects at his children’s homes and would never give up on any obstacle to complete the job at hand. He loved to tinker with things, and there was nothing he could not fix. In his later years, he found joy in building computers. He also was a big fan of social media and never failed to check his accounts daily to keep up with all his friends and family. Anyone who knows him well can attest to his favorite saying “Why Me”.
He is survived by his children, Glen (Debbie Grazioso) Vittor of Ocean Ridge, Florida, Gwen (Steve) Fetter of Overland Park, Kansas, and Greg (Vivian Veltri) Vittor of Boca Raton, Florida. Tom also leaves behind two grandchildren, Jared Fetter of Chicago, Illinois and Eric Fetter of Nashville, Tennessee; as well as two beautiful step-grandchildren and great grandchildren, Briana Grazioso (Jeff Gasparoni, Brielle & Lana Gasparoni) and Lauren Grazioso (Tim Long, Layne Long) of Boca Raton, Florida. Additionally, he is survived by a very special sister, Rose Venitelli in Lakewood, New Jersey whom he was very close to and spoke with often. He always said no one could make him Italian like his sister Rosie!
Thomas Vittor was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Rose Vittor, and his siblings, Katherine (Kitty) Richter, James (Jim) Vittor, Lillian Caswell, and Roberta Schrader.
Services will be held Friday December 5, 2025, at 11:00 am, at Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea Catholic Church, 22779 Metcalf Rd, Bucyrus, Kansas. No visitation.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made payable to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, or one of your choosing, c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, P.O. Box 669, Louisburg, Kansas 66053.
