Gaetano Vicinelli, former Stowe Land Trust Board Chair and Emeritus Director, passed away peacefully at his home in Florida on June 1, 2021.
It was a great day for Stowe Land Trust when Gaetano Vicinelli joined the Board of Directors in 2004. Gaetano quickly become a critical component to an already dynamic board, serving on the organization’s finance committee, stewardship committee and annual golf tournament planning committee. During his seven-year tenure, Stowe Land Trust conserved seven properties including its first river corridor easement on the Little River to protect critical floodplains. Gaetano was also one of Stowe Land Trust’s first volunteer Land Stewards for the Bryant property in Nebraska Valley. He went on to serve as vice president for three years before becoming president in 2007, board chair in 2008 and emeritus director in 2012.
Since 1999, Gaetano and his wife Susan called Stowe home, but Gaetano’s connection to Stowe began long before then. In a Mountain Views newsletter interview he recalled his first decent of Mt. Mansfield’s Nose Dive in 1953 and learning about Stowe Land Trust through friendships with several board members, particularly past board president Jack Patten. Gaetano was ahead of his time when he recognized the importance stewardship would play in the organization’s future. In 2006 he was quoted as saying, “It’s critical that we do everything that is required of us to preserve and protect the properties we’ve already conserved. While the allure of new projects is attractive, we must ensure that we care for the over 3000 acres for which we are already responsible.” He also recognized the importance of growing support through annual membership campaigns in order to achieve organizational growth in new and creative ways.
In addition to his tireless work for Stowe Land Trust, Gaetano was involved with several other local and national non-profit organizations.
Stowe Land Trust thanks Gaetano for his commitment to land conservation, and all he gave to the organization over the years. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him — to help guide us, to weather our challenges, and to celebrate our successes. He will be dearly missed by everyone whose life he touched through his commitment, wisdom and generosity.
Thank you, Gaetano!
The family suggests memorial contributions to the THANC Foundation (NY) or Stowe Land Trust.