Vincent John Apruzzese

Vincent J. Apruzzese,

Beloved Patriarch, at 95 on March 3, 2024

Vincent J. Apruzzese, beloved patriarch, passed away peacefully on March 3 surrounded by his family.

A long-time resident of Short Hills, NJ, Chatham, MA, and Naples, FL, Vincent distinguished himself in the field of labor law, which he practiced for more than fifty years. He founded the law firm of Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy in 1965. During his career, he served as President of the New Jersey Bar Association, Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section and member of the Governors Board of the American Bar Association, and as a member of the International Labor Law Society. He was a principal witness for the United States Chamber of Commerce Labor Committee before committees of Congress and successfully argued three cases before the United States Supreme Court.

A graduate of Rutgers University and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Vincent J. Apruzzese was born in Newark, NJ in 1928, the only child of Mildred and John Apruzzese, who immigrated from Puglia, Italy. In 1955, Vin married the love of his life, Sandy (Marie Yeager), also of Newark. After serving for several years in the Navy’s JAG Corps in Wyoming, they returned to New Jersey where they raised their family. Vin and Sandy were married for 60 years before her death in 2015. Together they instilled in their five children and eight grandchildren the value of a good education, the imperative of hard work, the importance of giving back, and above all, the love of family. Vin was never happier than when he was with his family, whether skiing, playing tennis, cutting a rug, sharing fabulous meals, or gathering with friends who were as close as family. And there was no place he cherished more than the family home in Chatham, Cape Cod, the site of elongated dinners, intimate gatherings, large parties, tennis tournaments, spontaneous lawn games, and more magical sunsets than one can count. Other than his questionable boating skills and errant golf shots, he excelled at everything he put his mind to.

Throughout his life, Vin dedicated his time to a wide range of organizations outside the legal realm, including serving as Vice Chair of the Board of the Saint Barnabas Hospital System, Chair of the Board of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, board member of the Pingry School in Martinsville, NJ and President of the Port Royal Club in Naples, FL. He was instrumental in the construction of the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ which opened its doors in 1987. In honor of his leadership, the annual state-wide High School Mock Trial Competition was named for him.

Generous beyond measure, Vin was always the first to help in a crisis, to advise a young person in need of guidance, to step up whenever leadership was needed, and modeled for his children the joy of building life-long friendships. An entertainer at heart, he played a mean piano, was famous for his litany of jokes with impeccable delivery, and his ringing laughter will be sorely missed.

He is pre-deceased by his wife, Sandy (2015), and daughter, Barbara Yeager (2019), and survived by his children John Apruzzese (Debra) of Morristown, NJ; Don Apruzzese (Michele) of Harwich, MA; Lynn Tetrault of Boston, MA; and Katherine Sherbrooke (Patrick) of Cohasset, MA; his grandchildren Dana Pierce (Greg), Ali Butkowski (Brad), Tom Apruzzese (Aubrey), David Apruzzese, Ross Tetrault, Ryan Tetrault, Henry Sherbrooke, George Sherbrooke; and his great-grandson James Butkowski.

A reception hosted by Vin’s children will be held on April 20th from 3-5pm at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ. A celebration of Vin’s life will take place in Chatham, Cape Cod on June 15th. In lieu of flowers, feel free to make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Support Network, Naples, FL, in honor of his wife, Sandy. Visit www.mcnamara-sparrell.com for guestbook.