Frank Vartuli of Carpenter Avenue, Mount Kisco, passed away from natural causes on October 5, 2024. He was born to Giuseppe Vartuli and Felice (Sette) Vartuli, on November 4, 1932, in Winooski, Vermont. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1913 and 1920; each passing through Ellis Island, New York.
Frank was predeceased by his seven siblings: Mary (Mathon), Michael, Madeleine (Kalvoda), Josephine (Mengenie), Dominic, Katherine (Scott), and Ralph, Sr.
A lifelong bachelor, Frank was the beloved uncle of 28 nieces and nephews, a great uncle to 39, and a greatgreat uncle to a still-burgeoning generation. Frank graduated from the University of Vermont with a Master of Science in Chemistry in 1955. His thesis, titled Preparation and Oxidation of Certain Aryl Benzhydryl Sulfides, was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, copyrighted 1956. He lived and worked in Lugano, Switzerland for several years, taught at St. Michael’s College in Vermont, and taught chemistry at Glastonbury (Connecticut) High School from the 1960s until his retirement.
His avocations included Opera (in the original Italian, French and German—all of which he read); cultivating wildflower gardens; hiking in the hills and mountains of Vermont, Connecticut and New York; studying and harvesting wild mushrooms; driving to the Berkshires for hikes and concerts; and playing the elusive game of billiards, with championship status, into his 90s.
Frank walked a few miles every day, in the Village and preserves of Mount Kisco. He chatted with shop owners, bought organic vegetables and red wine, and patronized its many restaurants, from Italian, to Thai, Turkish and Georgian.
He was a monthly supporter of the Mount Kisco Volunteer Fire Department and the Ambulance Corps. His charitable spirit spread widely, from bequests to his alma mater, to American Indian Schools and Reservations, and to Northeastern land trusts. As an avid birder, he was a longtime Audubon member and supporter.
His quiet generosity underscored his deep belief in protecting nature for generations to come.
In his own words: I went to the Berkshires for several days to romp about several Reservations belonging to the Trustees of the Reservations. Spent a magnificent summer day at the Bryant Homestead in Cunnington. While exploring the Rivulet Trail, I walked into a bear. It was staring at me, and as soon as I spotted cubs in nearby trees, I wisely withdrew—only looking back long enough to see the cubs scamper down some trees and run off in the same direction as their mother. They curiously took a last look at me before scurrying off. There were three cubs, one very small. The mother had a lustrous, full black coat. Despite my protestations about the suburbanization of Connecticut, bears are returning here, as suburbanization cannot make up for new forest from abandoned farms. (July 1997)
