Vincenzo (Vince) Zappala was born on Mar 12, 1941, in Santo Stefano d’Aspromonte in Reggio Calabria. He pursued his studies in Reggio and received his diploma as Geometra (land surveyor). As it was compulsory at the time, Vince served in the Italian military for 18 months. Following that, he was employed in his field of study in Reggio for 5 years.

On Nov 24, 1966, Vince arrived in Canada on a Visa to visit his fiancée, Helen. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, Vince quickly set out to reconnect with old friends who had previously emigrated, signed up for English lessons in Toronto and eventually applied to change his status to permanent residency.

On Jan 21, 1967, Vince married his soulmate, Helen Priolo at St. Rita’s Church. This was the beginning of his 58-year commitment to Helen and a lifetime of accomplishments they made together. Together they went on to become proud parents of 3 daughters and a son-in-law as well as doting grandparents to 3 amazing grandchildren.

In 1968 Vince began his successful 32-year career in drafting and structural engineering with the Ministry of Transportation.

He was responsible for many critical components of the infrastructure (mainly roads and bridges) we have in place today in Ontario. Ahead of the times, Vince pursued a diploma in computer programming in 1968 and acquired computer literacy that helped to propel his career.

In the mid 1970s, together with Raffaele Priolo, Vince and Helen started Saturday morning Italian classes at Mother St. Bride school for elementary and high school students. Vince would later go on to teaching adults evening classes until the early 1990s. In doing so, he was able to share his love of the Italian language and culture.

Vince also hosted a Sunday evening Italian Hour program on CKAT radio for a few years. He introduced his listening audience to a variety of Italian hits and classics as well as broadcasting news, weather and sports events that were happening in his native Italy.

Vince was a respected member of the Davedi Club for many years. He was often called upon to give speeches for important events including the introduction of the Frecce Tricolori (acrobatic training team for the Italian Air Force) as well as other Italian delegates. He often helped many Italian citizens in North Bay with translations of documents pertaining to pensions and inheritances.

Once retired from MTO, Vince volunteered with the North Bay Soup Kitchen/Gathering Place for two years as well as the North Bay Regional Health Centre for 10 years.

For many years, Vince enjoyed gardening, golfing, fishing, mushroom picking and cross-country skiing. Notably, he gave the gift of life and selflessly donated blood 125 times over his lifetime!

Vince came to this country with courage, conviction and a hard work ethic. He embraced a Canadian way of living without sacrificing his values and beliefs. He is a proud Italo-Canadian who never forgot his roots and always ensured he made a positive impact on his family, his friends and his community.

Provided by: Rosalba Nicholson