Vincenza Gargano

Vincenza Gargano, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026, at the age of 85.

Born on April 27, 1940, in Pontecorvo, Italy, she was raised on a family farm, completed secondary school, and trained in seamstressing. On February 8, 1959, she married the love of her life, Gaetano Gargano, in Pontecorvo. In 1961, she and their firstborn immigrated to the United States, joining Gaetano in Detroit, Michigan. The couple later settled in Warren and then built their family home on a double lot in Shelby Township in 1980. Vincenza became a U.S. citizen on April 20, 1965, an achievement she held with deep gratitude and pride.

With skills rooted in her Italian upbringing, Vincenza tended expansive gardens and fruit trees, canning tomatoes and fruit, making pasta, bread, pizza, cannolis, sausages, and prosciutto. She sewed her daughter’s clothes, took in alterations for extra income, and worked in assembly at Diamond Stamping before later becoming a cosmetologist. She found great fulfillment working at Fantastic Sams and Great Clips, and welcoming clients into her home for haircuts and conversation. She and Gaetano shared 55 devoted years together until his passing in 2014. Vincenza lived in Shelby Township for 39 years before moving to Grosse Pointe in 2019 to be closer to her daughter, and then to Chesterfield in 2025.

Above all, Vincenza’s greatest joy was her family. She delighted in preparing large holiday meals and spending time with her grandchildren, who were the light of her world. She also cherished evenings out for dinner and dancing, playing bocce ball at the Italian American Cultural Center, and the quiet satisfaction of her garden.

She is survived by her children, Angelo Gargano, Aldo (Dawn) Gargano, Mario Gargano, and Elisa Wagner; her brothers, Mario (Teresa) Mariani and Giovanni (Antonietta) Mariani; her grandchildren, Nicolette (Craig) Shagena, Evan (Kelly) Gargano, Alyssa (Oliver) Baltz, Amanda (Gilbert Reaves) Gargano, Madison (Joseph) Moss, and Ava Wagner; and her great-grandchildren, Emma, Adelaine, Eloise, and Liam, with two baby boys on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alessandro and Marianna Mariani; her brother, Giuseppe Mariani; her husband, Gaetano Gargano; their son, Joe Gargano; and her step-grandson, Justin Pelzel.