Anthony Vitto Obituary

1948 - 2021

Dr. Anthony "Tony" Vitto passed away on July 23, 2021 at his home in Brigantine, New Jersey.







Tony was a man of science, with a thirst for knowledge and an incisive wit.







Tony was born on July 13, 1948 in Washington DC where he grew up among his extended Italian American family. Following graduation from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, MD, Tony attended St. John's College where he studied the great books and began a love affair with science and critical thought that would inform the rest of his life.







Tony went on to obtain a PhD in biochemistry at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. He did his postdoctoral work at UCSD where he carried out research in neurochemistry and neuropharmacology. Following his time in San Diego, Tony taught at Harvard as an instructor of Neuropathology with a focus on the biology of aging and Alzheimer's disease.







While in Boston, Tony decided to pursue medicine. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine in 1989 where he won both the Matthew T. Moore Prize and the Alpers Society Award for outstanding performance in neurology. Tony chose to complete his neurology residency at Stanford University in order to live close to his children, Tom and Claire.







Tony went on to become Chief of Neurology at the San Jose Medical Group and ultimately developed dual practices in Gilroy and Monterey before moving to the Berkshires, MA and eventually Brigantine, NJ. Tony continued to practice medicine as a teleneurologist up to the end of his life.







In recent years, he enjoyed spending summers at Tanglewood, the Clark Institute and the Norman Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires. Tony was in the process of building a house in Brigantine, NJ where he looked forward to spending his golden years with good wine and an ocean view.







Tony will be remembered for his charm, infectious laugh and generous nature. He was passionate about sports, the arts, food and wine and was happiest when sharing these passions with others.







Tony is survived by his daughter Claire Vitto, brother Nick Vitto, aunt Mary (Vitto) Anastasi and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Anthony and Celeste Vitto, his sisters Catherine (Vitto) Lindemer and Ann (Vitto) Beruff, and his beloved son Tom Vitto.







Details of the memorial will be shared via social media. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer's Association or The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, NJ.