Vincent William Pernicano

Vincent William Pernicano passed away at home on October 26, 2016 with his family at his side.
He was born August 24,1943 in Detroit, MI, to Sam and Jennie (Eterno) Pernicano. At age four he
moved with his family to San Diego, CA, where he graduated from St. Augustine High School in 1961 and
completed one year of higher education at San Diego State.
Vince would joke that his father had him working the family pizzeria/catering business from the time he
could reach the sink on a wooden box. Eventually, Vince began working for the Sears Corp. becoming a department manager which led to management positions in WA, OR and Montana. He opened the Southgate Mall Sears store in 1978 and in doing so he fulfilled a childhood dream of coming to MT after writing a story about our state in elementary school.
Vince married Bobbie McMakin in 1977 when he also became stepfather to little 3 year old, Tim McMakin.
Vince now had a son to teach the lessons of the great outdoors. Vince and Bobbie were later divorced in
2002.
Hunting wild game was everything to Vince who also made it his mission to teach hunters how to properly
dress and cook their wild game so as not to waste any of the meat. To accomplish that mission Vince belonged to the Outdoor Writers Association of America writing numerous "Cooking With Vince" cookbooks, and offering cooking seminars and TV wild life cooking classes KECI-TV. Vince's weekly recipes under the title, "Wildlife Chef Vince" were carried in several Montana newspapers, as well as in Tucson: Many of which included stories of his favorite hunting characters, Trip and Fall.
Vince loved meeting with the fellow Montana Outdoor Radio cast members until his health led to limited involvement in many of his beloved activities. Many of you may remember Vince working in Sportsman's Surplus fishing department until its closing.
Not to sit idle, Vince opened an Italian restaurant, Pernicano's, in 1988 where he prepared and served many of his Sicilian heritage recipes.
In 2002, retired from Sears, Vince designed and had built a gas BBQ wagon. One of his most memorable caterings with the wagon was at the Holt Ranch serving the Kumamoto Gov. Yoshiko Shiotani: The 20 year anniversary celebration with our Japanese sister-state, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. While setting up his BBQ wagon business in Tucson, AZ, God interjected His plan, which included Vince meeting the love of his life, Brenda Orcutt on July 6, 2002. They were married in November and together toured southern AZ with his BBQ wagons until Vince's health required a return to Montana.
A tribute to Vince is that he always picked himself up and moved on with his ever present sense of humor. Not a saint, but always a true friend. He was kind and generous but not afraid to speak his mind. Vince will be missed.
Survivors include his wife, Brenda, Clinton; stepson Tim (Julie) McMakin, Onalaska, WI; stepdaughters, Deanna Lamphier, Tammy Doyra, Missoula; Gerri (Greg) Lamphier, Helena; two sisters, Mary Jane (Karl) Mazzeo and Francine Pernicano, Huntington Beach, CA; 13 step grandchildren, two uncles and many cousins. Vince was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Jennie Pernicano and brother, Ven Pernicano.