Vincent L. Viola

Vincent Lewis Viola, known simply as Vinny to the many people who knew and loved him, died on September 22, 2026, following a tragic accident on Saturday, September 19, in Warren, Vermont. He was 16 years old.

Vinny was the beloved son of LeAnna Montgomery and Anthony Viola III and the brother of Anthony Viola IV. He is also survived by his maternal grandparents, Elizabeth Fernandez and Juan Howard; paternal grandparents, Sharon Conti and Anthony Viola; aunts Heather Firriolo and Wendy Viola; uncle Austin Conti; cousins Quinn Viola, Aaron Epperson, Justin Firriolo, Hannah Firriolo, Kylie Firriolo, Gavin Clark-Viola, Lenora Clark-Viola, and Caly Conti; and his dogs, Echo and Hermy, who he loved so much. He also leaves behind an extraordinary circle of lifelong friends who are devastated by a loss that is impossible to comprehend.

Vinny was a free spirit, unique to his core. He moved through the world entirely as himself, with a gentleness and absence of judgment that made all kinds of people feel comfortable around him. He was a small guy, but you could see him coming from a mile away, usually with his signature beanie on his head and a style that was unmistakably his own.

He was also unfailingly polite in a way that people noticed. Whenever Vinny was leaving a friend's house, he would make sure to say goodbye to the parents and thank them for having him over. It was a small thing, but one that said something much larger about him. He noticed people and appreciated being welcomed. And he made sure they knew it.

Above all, Vinny was an extraordinary friend. He stood beside the people he loved when things were easy and when they weren't. Friends trusted him with the things they couldn't tell everyone else. He listened without judging them and accepted people as they were. There was no cruelty in him, no need to make someone else smaller. He was a gentle and reliable presence, and beautifully kind.

Vinny was also an avid skateboarder and snowboarder, and the Warren Skatepark and Sugarbush Mountain were like second homes to him. Few things made him happier than landing the perfect flip at the skatepark, except maybe a powder day at Sugarbush. And his love for the mountain didn’t end when the snow melted. In the summer, he and his friends could often be found there playing disc golf.

These weren’t just hobbies for Vinny. They were part of the way he experienced the world and part of the way he found his people. The friendships formed in these places became some of the defining relationships of his life.

Vinny loved camping with his friends, especially at the wild, truly off-grid campsites scattered throughout Granville. A group of them would gather and stay up into the early morning hours before eventually climbing into their tents, the backs of Subarus, or whatever makeshift sleeping arrangements they had managed to pull together. It was Vermont, after all.

He also loved setting out on long bike rides with friends along Route 100, riding from his home in Granville through Hancock and Rochester with no particular destination. When Vinny and a friend were only around 12, they once made it all the way to Stockbridge. They never had anywhere they actually needed to get to. The experience itself was the destination, riding south for hours, eventually turning around and making the long ride home together.

There are losses for which language feels inadequate, and the death of a 16-year-old son, brother, and friend is undoubtedly one of them. Vinny's absence is profound for his mother, LeAnna, and his father, Anthony, who must now live in a world without their son in it. It is equally painful for his older brother, Anthony, currently a student at the University of Vermont, who has lost not only a brother but someone whose life and memories will forever be part of his own. Vinny’s grandmother and cousins, who live nearby and were an important and loving presence throughout his life, are also grieving this unimaginable loss as they begin to figure out how to manage life without him.

And this enormous loss extends far beyond his immediate family. Throughout the Harwood Union High School community, the Mad River Valley, and beyond, there are countless friends trying to understand how someone who was always there — at school, on the mountain, at the skatepark, at their houses, and part of their everyday lives — can suddenly be gone.

For the friends who grew up with Vinny, there will always be a before and an after. But there will also be the stories, the funny moments, the things he said that only they understand, the powder days, the tricks landed at the skatepark, and all the ordinary days together that never seemed important until now. And the extraordinary privilege of having been loved by someone who knew how to be a true friend.

Vinny’s parents and brother, his extended family, and a remarkable group of friends, will carry him with them for the rest of their lives. His life was far too short, but the love he gave and the place he holds in the lives of those who knew him are eternal.

A funeral service honoring Vinny's life will be held Saturday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Snows, 6305 Main Street, Waitsfield, Vermont. A reception will follow at the Warren School, where all are welcome to gather, share stories, be together, and celebrate Vinny’s life.

Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of NH.

To view Vincent’s Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.