Vincent T. Aidala, 75, of Dartmouth, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, June 7, 2006, at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.
He was the beloved husband of Jeannine (Bernier) Wilson Aidala and the late Amelia (Martino) Aidala.
Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Gaetano and Helena (Mitchell) Aidala. He was a 1949 graduate of LaSalle Academy.
He went on to serve proudly in the U.S. Army for 22 years, retiring in 1974 after having seen combat in both the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He received four Bronze Star Medals and three Air Medals while serving as a helicopter crew chief. Following his retirement from the military, he attended Johnson & Wales University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree.
Mr. Aidala held state and national offices in the 40 & 8 veterans organization, serving as Sous Chef de Chemin de Fer for 2 years. He was the president of the board of Better Community Living, Inc. and a member of the Dartmouth Veterans Council. Vincent had a passion for cooking, reading and storytelling. He was also a skilled Scrabble and Cribbage player.
Vincent was married to Amelia for 30 years until her passing in 1986. He and Jeannine celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in April. In addition to Jeannine, he leaves three sons, Vincent T., Jr. of Johnston, W. Steven and David B., both of North Providence; a stepdaughter, Suzanne (Wilson) Linton of New Bedford; a sister, Mary Lombari of Warwick; and his beloved grandchildren, Steven and Courtney.
Funeral from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford Saturday, June 10th at 10 AM. Funeral Mass at St. Julie Billiart Church (494 Slocum Rd. North Dartmouth, MA) at 11 AM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
Visiting hours Friday, June 9th from 4-8 PM.
Interment at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, (301 South County Trail, Exeter, RI, 401-268-3088) Monday June 12th at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Better Community Living, 384 County St., New Bedford, MA 02740 or to the Veterans Transition House, 20 Willis St., New Bedford, MA 02740.