Obituary of Gerald A. Vanty

On November 2nd, the eve of the Feast of All Souls, Gerald Anthony Vanty, 78, of Kensington, CT passed away peacefully at Smilow Cancer Hospital after a battle with leukemia.  He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Linda (Quarti), his three children and their spouses, Thomas (Lisa) Vanty, Kim (Nicholas Jr.) Carola, Kristin (Charles) Emmons, seven grandchildren Haley Vanty, Deanna and Nicholas Carola, and Tristin, Patrick, Harley and Charlotte Emmons, his brother Raymond and sister-in-law Marilyn Vanty, his brother-in-law Robert J. Quarti as well as several nieces and a nephew.

Gerald, known to most as “Jerry”, was born in Hartford, CT to Anthony and Rose (Piniozek) Vanty. At the age of 11, his family moved to New Britain where he was a graduate of New Britain Senior High School, class of 1957. He began his work career in carpentry and started his own remodeling business, Vanty Construction in 1967, which he owned and operated until 1984. He went on to work at Trinity College until his retirement in 2005.

Jerry never retired, however, from tinkering in his workshop or working around his house, yard, or at his children’s homes.  Always willing to lend a helping hand, Jerry was known as the guy who could fix anything. Friends and family could count on him to come up with a creative repair for projects that everyone else deemed “impossible”. 

Jerry enjoyed the outdoors and adventures with his son in Canada, Alaska and fishing on Long Island Sound every chance he got.  He looked forward to spending time with his grandchildren and sharing with them his wealth of knowledge in all things mechanical and practical. 

As a man of deep faith, Jerry served as a Eucharistic minister at St. Paul’s Church in Kensington, CT where he was an active member.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday (Nov. 7, 2017)  9:00 AM from the Farrell Funeral Home 110 Franklin Sq. New Britain with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM at St. Paul’s Church, Kensington. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, New Britain. Visitation will be Monday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105 or to Memorial Sloan Kettering Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 1275 York Avenue New York, NY 10065.