Obituary of Joseph Steven Vitali

Chapel Hill - Mr. Joseph Steven Vitali passed away peacefully at the age of 80 after a long illness. Joseph was born to the late Joseph Luciano and Marie Carmella Camerino on December 26, 1936 in Rome, New York. Joseph was employed with the US Air Force as a Radar Repairman, based at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY. He operated a Humane Society Animal Shelter for the City of Rome, before relocating to North Carolina. Joseph was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, leaving behind his creativity and love of nature. His adoration of animals was contagious from the time he was a young boy. By the time he was 30, he owned and ran a team of sled dogs and won every race he entered. He enjoyed working with his hands, he always had many projects going on at the same time, creating beauty out of pieces of wood or stone that he had collected from nearby. In his later years, he enjoyed square dancing and round dancing with his wife to the fullest. He also enjoyed going to the gym to visit with his friends and to exercise. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Delores M. Vitali; his son, Mark A. Vitali, and his wife, Mary Faith Vitali of Chapel Hill, NC; daughter, Lora A. Vitali of Tallahassee, FL, and her wife, Judy Griffin; grandson, Nicholas J. Vitali of Columbus, OH; sister, Eleanor Castor of Ocala, FL; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2017, at 2:00pm in the Chapel of Walker's Funeral Home, 120 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC. Burial will follow in the Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 1:00 - 2:00pm prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Orange County Animal Services, 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, or to Amedisys Hospice, 220 New Fidelity Court Garner, NC 27529.