Vincenzo Portuese, 90, of Fort Myers, Florida, formerly of New Paltz, New York, passed away on May 30, 2026. Born on April 29, 1936, in Palazzolo Acreide, Sicily, Italy, Vincenzo emigrated to the United States in 1956 at the age of 20. He remained deeply connected to his beloved hometown of Palazzolo Acreide throughout his life and returned to visit family and friends whenever he could. He settled in New Paltz, New York, in the late 1950s, where he lived for more than 60 years and became a beloved member of the community before moving to Fort Myers, Florida, in 2021.

Vincenzo was a longtime barber and small business owner. He proudly served as the barber for the late Floyd Patterson, the former heavyweight champion of the world, for many years. A man of restless energy and entrepreneurial spirit, he was always seeking the next opportunity and took on a variety of ventures throughout his life — especially enjoying his role as a fingerprint technician for the New Paltz Police Department. A devoted 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus — an organization especially close to his heart — and a proud member of the Sons of Italy, he also served as an usher at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New Paltz for many years. He deeply cherished the close-knit community of New Paltz and the many friendships he formed there. Vincenzo had a great love for classical music and was a passionate photographer and filmmaker, documenting family life for decades on 8mm film, VHS, and other formats.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Paola Pizzo Portuese; his children, Enrico Portuese (Louise) and Giuseppe Portuese (Donna); his grandchildren, Tessa (Stryker), Vincent, and Leo; his brother, Sebastiano; his sister, Paola; and many nieces and nephews: Paolo (Rosa Amalia), Anna (Salvatore), Rick, Sandy (Alan), Giuseppe (Carmela), Giusi, Luana (Mirko), Marta (Giuseppe), and Mariapaola (Christian). He also leaves behind many loving relatives and dear friends in the United States and Italy.He was preceded in death by his father, Enrico Portuese, and his mother, Santina Santoro.Funeral Mass and celebration of life details will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Vincenzo’s memory be made to the Knights of Columbus:Make checks payable to: Knights of Columbus Council #5800Memo line: In Memory of Vincenzo PortueseMailing address: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Attn: Christopher Nadareski, 34 South Chestnut St., New Paltz, NY 12561