AUBURN – Carlo D. Vangeli, 75, died Dec. 29, at the Hospice House in Auburn after a courageous battle with stomach cancer, with his loving family by his side.

He was born in Lewiston on July 28, 1931, the son of Emilio and Carmela (Spugnardi).

He was educated in Lewiston schools. He was excited that his five children and five grandchildren attended Pettingill Elementary School as he had done. He was a popular member of the 1950 graduating class of Lewiston High School where he played football and baseball.

He went to Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield for one year. He then received an associates degree in business management from Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., in 1953. Later, he went to work at J.C. Penney Co. in Waterville.

On July 21, 1956, he married Judith Sabourin.

In 1958, he joined his father and ran Steckino’s Restaurant for 28 years.

He was a member of the Elks in Lewiston and the Kiwanis in Southwest Harbor. In 1978, he opened up Portofino Restaurant in Southwest Harbor and commuted between the two restaurants for five years. In 1988, he started Family Fare Restaurant in Farmington and ran the restaurant for one year. He then opened Spinnaker’s Restaurant in 1989.

In 1997, he and his wife retired to Manchester, where he volunteered as a cook for the Augusta Soup Kitchen on Water Street for six years.

While his children were growing up, they enjoyed skiing, snowmobiling, boating and sailing together. They enjoyed skiing trips to Canada, snowmobiling at their camp in Eustis, and boating and sailing in the summer in South Harpswell. He enjoyed competitive inter club sail racing and came in third one year with his brother-in-law, John Wheaton, crewing. He was also an active committee member of Boy Scout Troop 111 in Auburn.

One year, he and his family traveled with the scouts and toured Toronto, Ottawa, the Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich., Cooperstown, N.Y., and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

He was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed watching all sports, especially high school basketball. He also enjoyed football and coached Lewiston Junior High seventh and eighth grade football for five years in the early 1970s. He was also an avid golfer. His highlight in golf was when he made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole at Prospect Hill Golf Course in Auburn. He enjoyed playing golf with his grandsons.

He also enjoyed watching his grandchildren play all their sports and attended as many games as he could. He stayed active playing bridge at the Cohen Center in Hallowell. His wit and humor will be greatly missed by all the bridge players at the Cohen Center.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years; two daughters, Susan and her fiancé, Bob Hill of Monmouth, and Carol and her husband, Stephen Roy, of Lewiston; three sons, James of Lisbon Falls, Peter of Stratton, and Paul and his wife, Janet, of Lewiston; two sisters, Angela Fox of Cumberland and Theresa and her husband, John Wheaton, of Lewiston; one brother-in-law, John Sabourin, and his wife, Roberta, of Augusta; five grandchildren, Kenneth and Joshua Roy, Vincent, Anthony and Nicole Vangeli all of Lewiston; several nieces, nephews, and special friends.

He was predeceased by his parents and several close friends.

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