Obituary of Victor Peter Finizio

Victor (Vito) Peter Finizio, of New Bern, NC, passed at UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC, from
extensive and lengthy complications following surgery, taking his last breath in the arms of his
beloved wife, Athena Kris Bernal, on October 11, 2018 at the age of 68.
He is survived by his wife, Athena Kris Bernal; his maternal aunt, Adele Petruzzo; his stepfather,
Joseph V. Severino; his sister Carla Severino, and her daughters, Marisa Baumann, Paulina
Baumann, and Juliana Baumann; and many loving cousins.
Vito was born on October 16, 1949 in Philadelphia, PA, to Victor Finizio and Anna Maria
(Finizio) Severino. From a relatively young age Vito was drawn to restaurant and
entrepreneurial endeavors, owning and operating several restaurants throughout his career.
Vito is still remembered in Ocean City, NJ, for his popular restaurant, Vito’s Pizza. Later in his
career, Vito worked for Vacation Adventures International as a Promotional Consultant. He was
also successful as a Food & Beverage Consultant, owning and operating Restaurant Revival.
Vito will be remembered for his generous mentoring of fledgling restaurateurs.
He was very active in the Italian-American community. For 5 years, Vito served as president of
Amici Della Lingua Italiana, a well respected cultural organization in New Jersey that focused
on teaching the Italian language. He played an active roll in establishing an Italian Language
Program at Burlington County College and facilitated presentations at their culinary school by
various celebrity chefs.
Vito’s philanthropic efforts are notable for preparing, collecting and distributing food and other
essential items to the homeless community in NJ and later in SC, which he also used as a
teaching mechanism for local high student volunteers. Following Hurricane Sandy, he was
quick to load his truck to deliver supplies to as many victims of the storm as possible. For his
entire life, Vito was ready and willing to help those in need at every opportunity.
Vito was passionate about surf fishing and cooking. His loyal and loving heart is evidenced by
his group of lifelong and newly met friends, whom he embraced as family. Vito fell in love with
New Bern, his and Athena’s newly adopted and wonderfully welcoming hometown.
The last project Vito completed before his death was to create the framework and foundation
for Athena’s new business, Elements Healing Arts Center, which gave him the pleasure and the
comfort of helping to secure her financial future.
In accordance with Vito’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. At a later date, family and
friends will participate in a memorial celebration of his life in New Bern, NC. In lieu of flowers,
the family requests donations to Merci Clinic, 1315 Tatum Dr., New Bern, NC 28560, which is a
non-profit community clinic, providing free healthcare for those with limited income. For more
information please go to, www.merciclinic.org.