Very said news came today that Vincent Anania passed away from heart failure last night surrounded by friends and family in his Chapel Hill home in North Carolina. Elizabeth Edwards has asked that in lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation.
Anania was a first generation American born on April 22, 1920 in Pennsylvania where he grew up and attended college and then went on to attend U.S. Naval Academy. Vincent Anania served for many years in the US Military from 1944 and fought in the the Korean and Vietnam wars.       ÂÂ
In 1958, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for piloting an aircraft carrying himself and 13 others to safety after it had been attacked by two MIG jet fighters while on a surveillance mission off the coast of North Korea.
…
Anania is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth Thweatt Anania; his children, Elizabeth Anania Edwards, Vincent Joseph Anania, Jr. and Nancy Thweatt Anania; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters.
There is a post at The Daily Kos and Elizabeth was kind enough to leave thanks to all those who had expressed their condolences. The Edwards family continues to show their love of life and family and that each day is precious. I’m sure Vincent was so very proud of both Elizabeth, John and their children. I hope she will not mind that I share part of that comment here. It reminds me of why I admire her so and how she has personally inspired me.
My father will be missed by all of us, and in particular by John, who stayed with Dad the night before he died, talking to him all night and alerting the rest of us that the end was near. They had a special bond.
It was wonderful to be able to tell him that we loved him, to sing his favorite songs and tell stories about the moments we remembered, about the splendid and silly pieces of his life. And it was a reminder that none of us should wait until the hours are numbered to tell those around us how much they mean to us.
My father will be missed by all of us, and in particular by John, who stayed with Dad the night before he died, talking to him all night and alerting the rest of us that the end was near. They had a special bond.