PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Virgilio J. Walto, 94, of Pittsfield, Mass., passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at Berkshire Medical Center in the company of his family. 

Born in Pittsfield on December 31, 1923, he was the son of Julius and Domenica (Coppolino) Walto. Virgilio, a lifelong Pittsfield resident, graduated from Pittsfield High School with the class of 1941, where he participated in dramatics and on the Gym Team.

Virgilio was an Army veteran of the Second World War, serving in the field artillery. Subsequent to his service in WWII, he attended the former Berkshire Business College. After working briefly at the former Rice Silk Mill in Pittsfield, Virgilio went to work at Pittsfield General Electric, where he held a number of white collar positions in the Naval Ordnance and Power Transformer divisions. Virgilio was an active and committed member of IUE local 254/255.  He retired in 1985 and in retirement continued to participate in the IUE 254/255 Retirees Association serving as a board member.

In his younger days, Virgilio was an avid skier and speed skater, taking particular pride in having skied the Shadow and Ghost trails in the Pittsfield State Forest. In his later years, Virgilio continued the family tradition of growing fruit trees, gardening and winemaking. He enjoyed raising tomato and pepper plants from seeds in his mini backyard hothouse and looked forward to crushing zinfandel grapes in the fall for bottling and drinking in the spring.

Virgilio is survived by his wife of 69 years, Carmen M. (Carnevale) Walto; his four children and their spouses, Donna, Kenneth (Mary Ann), David, and Lisa (Jim); nine grandchildren, Kristy, Jennifer and Christopher Maniatis, Courtney and James Griffin, Daniel, Kevin, Gina and Abigail Walto; and eight great-grandchildren, Max, Lucy and Vega Maniatis, Lily, Grace and Ella Reiter, and Alexandra and John Walto.

Virgilio was predeceased by grandson Matthew Walto; and siblings John, Oralio, Ann and Stella.

The family extends its gratitude to the staff of the Emergency and Critical Care Units at BMC, who acted with extraordinary compassion during his final week with us.

Funeral notice: Services will take place Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at 9 a.m. from the Flynn & Dagnoli-Bencivenga Funeral Home, 5 Elm St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, 414 North St., Pittsfield with the Rev. Monsignor Michael A. Shershanovich, Pastor officiating. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Joseph's Cemetery. 

Calling hours at the funeral home will be Tuesday, March 13, from 8 to 9 a.m. Donations may be made to Alzheimer's Association in care of the funeral home.