Often, you learn more about someone at a wake or funeral than you do during the person’s lifetime.
And so it was with Vinnie Aguanno, who died last month. The 91-year-old bicyclist was memorialized on Saturday with a leisurely ride around Morristown.
Vinnie’s family turned out for the event, and we learned that “Poppi”…
- Emigrated to the U.S. from Italy at age 4
- Contracted malaria while serving in New Guinea during World War II
- Was a barber in the Army
- Retired from the Lyons veterans hospital, where he was a clerk.
- Took really good care of his ailing wife, who predeceased him by a quarter-century.
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Besides biking almost every day, Vinnie loved dancing. Saturday’s ride was set to some of his favorite dance tunes–Chicken Dance, YMCA, The Electric Slide — pumped through a portable boom box toted by Kendra Arnold, organizer of the event for Bike & Walk Morristown.
“This was a nice thing to do,” said Vinnie’s granddaughter, 27-year-old Cheryl Mumma, who followed her granddad’s advice to “keep smiling.”
Vinnie’s other words of wisdom: “Don’t spend your money. Save it for a rainy day!” recounted his daughter Lucia Mumma, who was joined by her husband, Greg, and her sister, Elena Case.
“My dad was up there in heaven, looking down on us today,” Lucia said.
“He was riding along with us all,” added Elena.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute for a very special, kind, happy person.
I am so glad I got to meet him many years ago.
Love Karen Trujillo & family