Obituary of Brian Vitale

Brian Vitale, 71, of Warren, New Jersey passed away at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday November 3, 2020. Born in Newark New Jersey, Brian was the son of the late Cosmo and Doris Vitale. He graduated from North Plainfield High School and started attending college at night thinking of becoming a teacher in distributive education. In 1971, fate brought him to Phoenix Mutual where he became a life insurance agent and found his lifelong career. He would eventually have his own financial planning business and in 2002 Anthony Caruso joined Brian to form Vitale, Caruso & Associates. During his 50-year career he received numerous awards and accolades. Brian was particularly proud of becoming a Top of the Table member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Top of the Table membership signifies outstanding sales achievements and high-level client service. He and his wife of 28 years, Diane, spent many summers on their boat in Newport Rhode Island where he could enjoy some of his favorite things; boating, fishing and eating at Newport’s many great restaurants. They also enjoyed travelling , whether it was to New York City to see a show (his favorite was The Radio City Christmas Spectacular) cruise the Caribbean and Alaska or up and down the East Coast to sight-see and visit friends, Brian was always ready for a new adventure. Family was very important to Brian and he loved his daughter Marjorie, her husband Bob and his grandchildren Evan and Samantha, along with his son Kyle and his wife Alexis, and his grandchildren Fable and Fox. Being with them always warmed his heart. He was also very close to Diane’s sister, Linda, her husband Bill and his nieces Alyssa and Sara. Brian especially loved family time spent together at Disney World and in Newport. Brian always said, “My goal in life and in business are the same. I just want to help as many people as I can, in any way I can.” He definitely achieved his goal. Whether it was financial advice, a shoulder to cry on or the name of a good plumber, he was there for you. He always made sure everyone was taken care of and having a good time…always putting others before himself. In December of 2013, Brian had a lifesaving liver transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Always wanting to give back, he and Diane became one of the founding donors of The Transplant House of Cleveland, which provides housing and support for transplant patients and their caregivers. Since opening their first apartment in 2014, they now have 24 units and have helped countless transplant families. Brian always stayed involved and continued to contribute both his time and money to this very important organization. Brian has touched many lives with his generosity, sense of humor and love of life. He will be missed immensely. Survivors include his nephew, Douglas Vitale, his wife Lana and their daughters, and his nephew Philip Vitale. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a service in celebration of Brian’s life will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Brian’s name to The Transplant House of Cleveland, 2029 E. 115th St., Cleveland, OH 44106 transplanthouseofcleveland.org or to Lifebanc, PO Box 933379, Cleveland, OH 44193 lifebanc.org