Joseph (Joe, Joey, Joe Bear) Phillip Vita, 79, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025.  Joe was born on April 30, 1946, in Brooklyn, NY, to Rocco and Gaetana Vita.   Joe also had two siblings, an older brother Frank, and a younger sister, Maryann.  Joe grew up in Brooklyn, NY and it is where he met his wife of 56+ years, Rosemarie Tedeschi.

Joe was a proud Vietnam War Army Veteran.  He was drafted into the Vietnam War in February 1966 where his artillery unit was attached to the 101st Airborne Division.  He was Private First Class in the United States Army and was discharged with Honors in December 1967.

After his return home, in 1969, Joe and Rosemarie married.  Joe and Rosemarie decided to leave NYC and ventured out to NJ, which is where they decided to start their family.   They ultimately ended up in Oakland, NJ which is where they resided for the past 50 years.

Joe had a very successful career in purchasing / strategic procurement.  He spent 25+ years at Western Union, where he worked his way up from the mail room to VP of Purchasing.  While working full-time, with a wife and young daughter at home, Joe attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Economics.  After Western Union, Joe ventured out into other opportunities, including Ernst & Young, Prudential, Smart Balance, and then retiring with DCH Auto Group in 2012.

Joe had a passion for cars and muscle cars, especially Corvettes.  Joe had a 1976 Corvette Stingray that he loved to drive and work on.   Joe loved going to his children's sporting events throughout the years, which included baseball/softball, basketball and soccer.  Joe loved the NY Yankees and the NY Giants and loved taking his family to games.  Joe enjoyed going out to dinners with his family, vacations, as well as going to the movies with his son, Christopher.   Joe loved spending time with his grandchildren, telling them stories, and making them laugh.

Joe is survived by his wife Rosemarie and their two children, Jennifer Vita Zagata and Christopher Joseph Vita, son-in-law John Zagata, daughter-in-law Elena Vita, and four grandchildren, AnnaSophia and Alexandra Zagata, and Leonardo and Luciano Vita.

Joe was a strong, resilient, hardworking, and brave man. He was kindhearted, loving, funny, generous, and was liked by everyone he encountered.  Most importantly, he was a good man, who loved and cared for his family very much.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to remember Joe in a special way may make a gift in his memory to the American Heart Association, Disabled Veterans National Foundation, or the Oakland, NJ Police Department.