Obituary of Marjorie Wagner Vitale

Marjorie (Marge) Vitale, 82, of Centennial, CO (formerly of Allegany, NY) passed away peacefully on April 17, 2022, with family by her side.

 

Marge is survived by her husband of 58 years, David Vitale; her children Janice Vitale (Ken Osika), Jill Vitale-Aussem (Todd Aussem), and Mark Vitale (Shawna Vitale); grandsons Peter Vitale and Isaac Vitale; and siblings George Wagner and Barbara Woodworth. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Louise McKeon Wagner and Charles Wagner; and seven of her siblings: Louise Hunter, Bernard Wagner, Charles Wagner, Ronald Wagner, Richard Wagner, Carol Skarshinski, and Paul Wagner.

 

Marge was second to the youngest of ten children. Her mother was widowed when Marge was just two years old, leaving her mom to raise ten children alone. Growing up with such a strong female role model certainly shaped Marge’s life.

 

Marge was truly a force to be reckoned with and an inspiration to many, earning her the well-deserved moniker, Marge-in-Charge.  When Marge was in her prime it was widely understood that she accomplished more before noon than regular mortals did in a week. When Marge decided it was time for something to be done, she just did it. She was known to grab a sledgehammer and demolish walls when she felt home remodeling was in order and to give rousing pep talks to family and friends that gave them the confidence and, as Marge would say, the ‘gumption’ to get things done and follow their dreams.

 

Marge had many skills, interests, and talents. She was an accomplished fiber artist creating quilts, one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing, hooked rugs and gorgeous banners for St. John’s Lutheran Church in Allegany, NY. She also enjoyed knitting, gourmet cooking, gardening, and creating special one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends.

 

Marge loved doing outdoor activities together with her husband Dave, including biking, skiing, snow shoeing, and hiking. She was a strong believer in the healing power of nature and physical activity. She and Dave loved going to Sedona, AZ and they traveled extensively throughout the world together. Our best estimate is that they traveled to at least 30 countries together.

 

Marge was a strong believer in giving back to the community and the world. While living in Allegany, Marge was on the board of Genesis House, a homeless shelter for women, was a volunteer with Interfaith Caregivers, and was an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church for 34 years. She was also an active member of Welcome Wagon. She was caring and kind, always there to support family and friends going through rough times.

 

After losing her vision due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal disease, Marge continued to find purpose, independence, and opportunities to live a full and vibrant life. When others may have given up, Marge took charge.  She participated in orientation and mobility training through Colorado Center for the Blind to learn the skills she needed to have autonomy in her life. She served on multiple committees at Holly Creek Life Plan Community, participated in water aerobics, took daily walks with Dave, and read around 100 books on tape each year. She enriched the lives of her family and many friends through her fun-loving approach to life, sassy sense of humor and kind and caring heart. She was working on learning Braille at the age of 81 and helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Foundation Fighting Blindness. She is a true example of incredible strength and courage in the face of adversity.  

 

Marge’s career included working for New York State Assemblywoman, Pat McGee, assisting constituents in cutting through red tape and getting the assistance they needed, working in a fabric store, running Vitale Gifts and, prior to starting a family, and working as a stenographer/secretary for the federal government and for the New York State Police.

 

A Celebration of Life will be held on:

Saturday, May 21^st @ 1:00 pm at Holly Creek Life Community, 5500 E Peakview Ave, Centennial, CO 80121. We are hoping to make a virtual option available through zoom.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Foundation Fighting Blindness: https://give.FightingBlindness.org/HollyCreek.

 

If you would prefer to send a check you can make it out to: Foundation Fighting Blindness, and send it to Foundation Fighting Blindness, P.O. Box 45933, Baltimore, MD, 21297-5933. Please include the following information: Colorado Vision Walk 2022, “What’s in Sight for Holly Creek”, and Team ID # 424276.

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