TRITTO - Michael A., Sr. Of Buffalo, January 30, 2015, under Hospice care at age 75, much loved husband of 53 years of Marjorie (Felmet); proud father of Michael Jr. (Virginia Riordan), Matthew (Jennifer) and Nathan Jan Themann); devoted grandfather of Charlotte, Clark, Griffin and Elliot; brother of Joseph (Angie), Patricia, Thomas (Estela) and Daniel (Pam) Tritto; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Mike was a Spanish Teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools. No prior visitation. Family and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service at The Foundry Suites, 1738 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, Saturday, February 7th at 12 Noon. Entombment Forest Lawn Cemetery. Online condolences at www.KOLANOFUNERALHOME.com

Michael A. Tritto, Sr., who taught Spanish for 37 years in the Buffalo Public Schools, died on January 30, 2015 of prostate cancer under Hospice care. He was a native of Buffalo’s West Side, graduating from Bishop Fallon High School, and earning his Bachelor’s degree from Gannon College, and his Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
He was married for 53 years to his high school sweetheart, Marjorie Felmet. Upon returning from two years of service in the U.S. Army in 1964, he and Marjorie raised three boys first in Kenmore, and then in 1973 they moved into Buffalo so their children could attend the culturally diverse Buffalo Public Schools. Michael passionately valued the social and cultural assets of living in the city, and advocated for the renaissance of Buffalo.

Mike spent his teaching career at Kensington High School, the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, and Hutchinson-Central Technical High School.

He loved poetry since his youth. He became a published poet in the early 1970’s in journals throughout the U.S., and in England, Ireland, and Australia. Twenty-four of his poems were published in the Buffalo News. He won several poetry awards including the Niagara-Erie Poetry competition (1987), the Just Buffalo Writer-in-Resident Award (1988), and the AFL-CIO Just Buffalo Labor in Literature Award (1991). He read his poetry on WBFO-FM 88.7, the Calumet Arts Café, the Burchfield Penny Art Gallery, and the Screening Room, and his poems have been heard on Sirius Satellite Radio. Perhaps his proudest poetic achievement was the March 1990 Pfeiffer Theatre production of “Light from a Dark Canvas”, depicting his narrative poem about the Holocaust in a dramatically staged ballet.

Mr. Tritto loved beauty in the arts and nature. He was a long-time patron of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Studio Arena Theater, the Irish Classical Theater, and the Albright-Knox and Burchfield Penney Art Galleries. He was a member of a men’s book club for 41 years. He brought his family on an annual pilgrimage to Letchworth State Park, where he found inspiration during pre-dawn hikes in the woods. And he drew inspiration from travelling with his family to many beautiful destinations in North America and Europe.

Mike believed in helping those less fortunate through a lifetime of volunteer work with a variety of organizations, including Friends of Night People, the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, Literacy Volunteers of America, the YMCA, and a wide range of nursing homes.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, (Michael Jr., Matthew, and Nathan), three brothers (Joseph, Thomas, and Daniel), one sister (Patricia), and four grandchildren, (Charlotte, Clark, Griffin, and Elliot).

A Memorial Service will be held at The Foundry Suites, 1738 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo 14207 on Saturday, February 7 at Noon.

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