Born in Italy, but passionate about the United States, Ortenzio “Artie” Vecchio, well-known longtime local VFW post commander, died Wednesday, May 30, while under hospice care. He was 90.
Vecchio joined Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10147 in 1989 after moving to Apopka in 1982 from Lindenhurst, New York, following a car crash that forced him to retire.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, but had to wait until he was 18 after being rebuffed in his attempt to join the Army prior to turning 18. Vecchio served in the Third Armored Division under legendary Gen. George Patton. He returned to the U.S. following the war.
Vecchio and his wife Evelyn were married in 1951 and they had two daughters.
Known for his passion about patriotism and his work with the VFW, Vecchio’s death drew comments on social media.
“My heart is a bit heavy right now as I’ve lost a great friend of many years. Ortenzio “Artie” Vecchio passed away last night after putting up a courageous fight,” Apopka banker and Vecchio friend David Rankin wrote on Facebook.
“Artie lived an amazing life, loved and lead an incredible family and was a respected community leader. A veteran of WWII, he fought in Europe as a tank crewman in George Patton’s 3rd Army. He was one of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known and never, ever sought recognition or accolades for his efforts. Apopka and the United States have lost one of their finest.”
Barb Zakszewski also commented on Facebook.
“Artie was one of the few true gentlemen left,” she wrote. :Always a smile and a kind word. And a patriot to the very end. We had many nice conversations about family and country. Apopka is a little less today because we lost a city and national treasure.”
John Ricketson, publisher of The Apopka Chief, was a longtime friend of Vecchio’s.
“Such a great man, Artie was a special friend and I consider it a privilege to have known him,” Ricketson said. “He was loved by many and respected by many more. He loved his family and his extended family and he cared about VFW Post 10147 and the community of Apopka. He will be missed greatly. I’m sure he is having a reunion with Mayor Land already.”
Vecchio was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1927, and moved to the United States with his parents and two sisters when he was nine.
The family went through Ellis Island and then moved to New Jersey, but soon moved to Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, which is near Pittsburgh.
In a biography he wrote for an award given to him, Vecchio admitted fudging his birth certificate while he was a teenager.
“When I was 15, I changed my birth certificate to show I was 18 to get a job on the Penn Railrod. I worked there as a mechanic until I tried to join the Army against my parents’ wishes. This did not work out and I had to wait until I was 18. I joined the Army and was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to do my basic training,” Vecchio wrote.
Vecchio is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and daughters, Marianne and Valerie, and grandson, James A. Morrison.
Details of the funeral service were not available at press time.
This story appears on page 1A of the Friday, June 1, edition of The Apopka Chief.
