Vincent Albert Pingitore Jr.'s Obituary
Vincent Albert Pingitore Jr. was born on September 10, 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died on August 20, 2023 in La Plata, Maryland. Vince was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent Albert Pingitore Sr. and his mother Mildred Marie Pingitore (nee Schiavo) as well as his brother Stephen Michael Pingitore. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Howell Pingitore, children Arlee Howell Pingitore Buchanan (Benjamin) and Anthony Stephen Howell Pingitore (Jersey).
"The Crust" as he was known to his family for being grouchy on the outside but soft on the inside, held a special place in his heart for his four grandchildren: Duncan Xavier Pingitore Buchanan, Merrigan Rose Pingitore Buchanan, Vincent Rocco Pingitore and Esther Lee Pingitore.
Vincent's family moved from Levittown, Pennsylvania to Brandywine, MD in 1965. Vince quickly proved himself an excellent student and graduated from Bishop MacNamara High School and from George Washington University. After a few years of helping out with his father's construction business he moved on to become a career firefighter with the Prince George's County Fire Department. Vince was widely respected among his peers and retired with the rank of Battalion Chief. After he retired, he went on to work for Maryland OSHA as well as various construction companies as a safety and compliance inspector.
When his children were young it was a common complaint from them that Dad was "Elking". He would attend meetings, sometimes dressed in his tuxedo but always ready to do business. Vince took the Elks very seriously and held all offices in Lodge 2421 as well as District Deputy, Maryland President as well as service on the Elks National Committee.
He was extremely dedicated to the Order of Elks as well as the people it served.
Vince was also a devout Catholic, attending mass at St. Mary's Newport every Sunday. While he often annoyed his children by refusing to take part in after mass activities, he was a dedicated volunteer in the church food pantry and rarely, if ever, missed a holy day or Sunday. Asked why he was so dedicated to his religion he stated: "Because I told God if I ever got the promotion to Battalion Chief, I would never miss church again". In many ways The Crust was stubborn, tenacious and headstrong. He held strong opinions and rarely wavered from them. He was a firefighter through and through, willing to run into burning buildings to save others even if it cost him his life in the process.
Despite his loss, Vince leaves behind a legacy of patriotism, helpfulness, compassion and duty of the highest order. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the Elks Nation Foundation. The foundation offers scholarships as well as other direct services to individuals and support organizations.
BPOE Elks of the USA
21750 N. Lakeview Dr.
Chicago, IL 60614-1889
Visitation
SEP 8. 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (ET)
Raymond Funeral Chapel
5635 Washington Ave.
La Plata, MD Funeral Mass
SEP 9. 11:00 AM (ET)
St Marys Newport Chruch
11555 St Marys Church Rd
Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
Burial
SEP 9. 12:45 PM (ET)
Trinity Memorial Gardens
3165 Mattawoman Beantown Rd.
Waldorf, MD 20601
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