Concetta Vitti

Concetta Prince Vitti, of Alexandria, Va., and formerly of Bedford Village, N.Y., passed away on February 13, 2022. She was 100 years old. Born in Stamford, Conn., on March 23, 1921, Connie grew up on the West Side, where her family was part of the close-knit Italian-American community there. She was an avid reader and excellent student, but also a dainty sidekick to her big brothers, who nicknamed her Dolly. It was a pet name that stuck — to her nieces and nephews she was known always as Aunt Dolly. After marrying and starting a family, Connie and her husband, Mark, settled in Bedford Village, New York, where they lived for more than 60 years. For many of those years, she and Mark were the proprietors of the much-loved Village Inn restaurant, a popular but unpretentious spot where fabulous Italian food and a friendly welcome at any hour were the standard. The success and enduring appeal of the Village Inn were not surprising. Connie was a hard worker and marvellous cook. A central figure in her large family, Connie was known, and adored, for her warm hospitality. Her home was open to all, and friends and family who spent time there were the lucky recipients not just of her kindness but also her trademark meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, chicken marsala and more. Connie also had a robust sweet tooth and kept her home well stocked with treats to follow the inevitable “seconds” of the main course. The importance of gracious hospitality was a life lesson that she passed on to her daughter and granddaughters. Another key value was generosity. Connie’s generous nature seemed to know no bounds and is something for which her family will always remain profoundly grateful. In addition to cooking for those she loved, Connie enjoyed word puzzles, keeping up to date on current events and culture and spending time reading biographies, novels, periodicals and cookbooks in the serene and beautiful backyard of her Bedford home. She was blessed with a long and fruitful life and will be sorely missed. Connie is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Spillane of Alexandria, Va.; three granddaughters, Erin (Feargal Meaney) Spillane of Ennis, Ireland; Megan (Bob) Costello of Alexandria, Va., and Shannon (Steve) Buckingham of Washington, D.C.; and five great grandchildren (who affectionately referred to her as Great Connie): Christopher and Aidan Meaney, Campbell Costello and Lila and Daniel Buckingham. “Aunt Dolly” also enjoyed a close and loving relationship with her many nieces and nephews. The daughter of Ralph Prince and Theresa Piazza, Connie was predeceased by her parents, as well as her husband, Mark Vitti; her son, Ralph Vitti; and her brothers, Carlo and Nicholas Prince. Friends and family are invited to pay their respects on Sunday, February 27, from 1-4 p.m. at Lacerenza Funeral Home, 8 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, February 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford. Burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, 25 Camp Avenue, Darien. Flowers may be sent to the funeral home or a donation can be made to World Central Kitchen (wck.org/donate), whose core value — that food is central to life and family the world over — was Connie’s too.