Vincent A. Mezzacapo

Vincent A. Mezzacapo

Vincent A. Mezzacapo, 77, of Erie, passed away following a cardiac event on the morning of Thursday, December 24, 2020 at UPMC Hamot. Cousin Vinnie, as he was affectionately known, was born October 1, 1943 in Erie, a son of the late Angeline (Pagliari) Mezzacapo and Vincent Mezzacapo.

He was a graduate from Academy High School, Class of 61'. Vincent enrolled at Brigham Young University in 1962, where he then decided to enroll in the Army. Vincent served in the US Army as a Green Beret medic as part of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) during the Vietnam War. During his service in the Army, he earned and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Expert Rifleman Badge. A press clipping from 1967 wrote of Vincent evacuating multiple soldiers from a combat zone, where he was the lone medic and successfully removed 18 injured soldiers from the area. After his return from Vietnam, Vincent completed his pursuit of a bachelor's degree from BYU in 1971. Vincent was an avid supporter of Cathedral Prep and served as the Director of Football Operations from 2009 to 2016. He most recently worked as a courier where his reputation for punctuality was always a trademark. Most importantly to Vincent were his grandchildren and son, to whom were his world and he adored. His grandchildren nicknamed Vincent "Mick" as he always brought them various Mickey Mouse toys and treats.

Vincent is survived by his son Joshua Mezzacapo (Milynn); his grandchildren, Cameron, Chase, and Amelia; and his aunts, Louise Kwitowski and Lenore Zeisler. He is also survived by many close relatives, cousins, and friends he considered to be his immediate family.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass at Saint Peter Cathedral, 230 West 10th Street, on Saturday January 2, 2020 at 10:00 am. Attendees must wear masks and abide by social distancing standards. Shorts are optional. Military Honors will be provided immediately following mass. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by the John R. Orlando Funeral Home, Inc., 2122 Raspberry Street, Erie, PA 16502.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.