Services have been announced for Angelo Vayas, the Maplewood business and community leader who passed away on Sunday, May 24.
Receiving of friends will take place at Morrow Memorial Church at 600 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood on Wednesday, May 27, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
A memorial service will be held at Morrow Church on Thursday, May 28, at 10:30 am.
Vayas passed away after a battle with a rare form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM, which he was diagnosed with in August 2013. He went through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to combat the aggressive tumor.
Vayas was the owner of the Village Trattoria restaurants and was a long-time Maplewood resident. His wife Mary is the owner of No. 165 on Maplewood Avenue.
According to his obituary, posted on NJ.com, Vayas was born June 1, 1964, in Thessaloniki, Greece and came to the United States when he was 12 years old. Working from the age of 13, he realized his dream of having his own business when he opened the Village Trattoria in Maplewood in 1993, followed by locations in Summit and South Orange.
According to the obituary, Vayas “did not let brain cancer define who he was, he fought it gallantly in order to stay here with us for as long as he could. His courage and strength were shining examples for all who knew him.”
A generous contributor to community causes and events, Vayas was also a devoted family man. He is survived by wife Mary Marano Vayas and sons Aris, Joseph, and Antonio Vayas. He was the son of Evangelia Tsamtsdis Vayas and the late Aristidis Vayas, and the brother of Jimmy and Peter Vayas.
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Caroline Fund, www.carolinefund.org, would be appreciated.
