Obituary of Vincent Richard Loiacono

 Vincent Richard Loiacono arrived in New London, Connecticut on January 20,1931, and departed from Venice, Florida on October 3, 2023.

If you knew Vin, you loved him, and if you loved him, you absolutely had a sense of humor. Never without a joke, comment, witty observation or story, Vin could find common ground and connect with anyone. That was his most special gift. He lived for almost 93 years without doing a lick of exercise, smoking the occasional cigar, and never passing up the opportunity to enjoy a few jelly beans. He often said that he had no complaints about his life, and (towards the end) that he had a “good run”. In typical Vin fashion, he decided that he was ready to “pack it in”, and without any fuss, that is exactly what he did. Practical, decisive, determined, and stubborn right to the very end. 

Vin attended The Bulkeley School in New London and dreamed of becoming a pilot after soloing in a Piper Cub at the age of 16. It made perfect sense that he would graduate from Fordham with a degree in pharmacy because he grew up in an era when children listened to their parents, and his father assured him that he would be the best pharmacist pilot there ever was. Vin enlisted in the Navy in 1954 and graduated from OCS Newport. He served as a Lieutenant on the USS Badger, a destroyer that circumnavigated the globe at the tail end of The Korean War. Vin carried his military card in his wallet his entire life because completing OCS and serving his country were two of his most proud accomplishments. After the Navy, Vin started Ocean Pharmacy which grew and evolved over the years into much more than a pharmacy. Ocean Medical, Aid and Assistance, County Hearing and Balance, Medical Therapeutics, and Medi Transit were all born from his innovation. Vin was truly ahead of his time in understanding the impact of placing multiple ancillary services under one roof. He retired in 1994 and took up sculpting. Turns out, he was really good at that, too!

Vin accomplished a lot over the span of 92 years, but the truth is that only 3 things really mattered to him: faith, family, and friends. There is a 100% chance that he would want everyone to remember him for who he was - not what he did. Vin loved his wife, Ann, his children, David (wife Carolyn), and Amy, his grandchildren, Ryley, Case, and Murphy van der Velde, his sister, Billie, his brother, Anthony, and his parents, Helen and Albert. Vin also loved anything that was a good deal, sneaking a nap in whenever possible, his home, and spending time with the people he loved. Oh, and he really didn’t like broccoli, baby corn, or knuckleheads (edited for the paper). 

A celebration is in the works for a date to be determined in Venice, FL this fall/winter and in Stonington, CT next summer. Be on the lookout for details to follow and be prepared with a joke or favorite Vin story. We aren’t going to cry; we are going to laugh and celebrate a man who wouldn’t want it any other way!  Farley Funeral Home in Venice is handling the arrangements. To send a memory or condolence please visit www.farleyfuneralhome.com.