Vincent De Candia, born July 16th, 1944, passed away on Friday, May 22nd. You thought you were just going on your weekly trip to Atlantic City, instead it was the day God called you home. Born and raised in Hoboken to the late Mary (DeGennaro) and Albert De Candia, Vincent attended Demarest High School, where he met the love of his life, Nina. After graduating from Demerest High School, he joined the Army and proudly served his country. Vincent and Nina married in 1968 and moved to Secaucus, where they raised their three daughters, Paula, Marianne, and Nina.

During their time in Secaucus, Vincent became quite the self-made entrepreneur, opening several successful businesses, including 3G Construction, Fatso’s Heroes, and De Candia Construction, alongside his brother, Mike. After moving to Toms River in 1987, Vinny and Nina opened VIP Cleaners, which they owned and operated side by side for the next 18 years. After losing his beloved Nina in 2006, Vincent then went to work as a security officer at Barnegat High School, which, admittedly, was his favorite job. After retiring from Barnegat High School, he joined the staff at Island Beach State Park, where he was affectionately given the title of Mayor of Tices Shoal.

Vincent was a selfless, hard-working, dedicated family man who commanded respect from those around him. He consistently stood strong in the face of adversity. Vincent was also a generous and loyal friend. Whether he knew you for five minutes or five years, he became everyone's favorite Grandpa Vinny. He had a larger-than-life personality and loved to make people laugh with his great one-liners. “You look familiar, have you ever been to prison?” or “I have a black belt… in karaoke.” Vinny loved Atlantic City, playing cards with his friends, and Wednesday night Bingo.

However, more than any job or anything he has ever accomplished, his most prized accomplishment was being a dad and, more importantly, Grandpa Vinny. He loved coming up with silly songs to sing to his grandkids. He made sure they had every kind of motorized toy, got them tickets for the boardwalk every summer, and always had a stash of treats on hand. He loved creating endless memories with them in Atlantic City and Disney. Grandpa Vinny will be famously remembered for his long “short cuts” and his delicious-smelling cologne. Vincent has been reunited in heaven with his beloved wife, Nina. He was predeceased by his older brother, Michael De Candia, and his sister Angela Disteso.

He will be lovingly remembered and cherished by his daughters: Paula and her husband Ted Wielichoski of Toms River, along with their daughters Amanda and her husband Mark Rutkowski of Lacey, and Alexa O’Dell and her boyfriend Riley of Toms River; Marianne and her husband Cosmo Fasciano of Secaucus, along with their daughters Marissa and Samantha, and Samantha's boyfriend Nicholas; and Nina and her husband Edward Antommarchi of Toms River, along with their sons Justice and Chase. He is also survived by his brother Albert De Candia and his wife Sharon of Virginia Beach. He will forever hold a special place in the hearts of all his nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Wednesday, May 27th, from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at Kedz Funeral Home, 1123 Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Thursday, May 28th, at 10:00am at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Toms River. Friends are invited to meet the family at the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Vincent’s favorite charities: Tunnel to Towers Foundation, T2T.org or Wounded Warrior Project, woundedwarriorproject.org