Personal Life
Vitale was born in Passaic, New Jersey. His father, John, was a security guard and clothing press operator. His mom, Mae, worked in a factory as a seamstress and sewed coats until she suffered a stroke. In kindergarten, Vitale lost the vision in his left eye owing to an accident with a pencil.
Vitale graduated from Seton Hall University in 1963 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. In 2011 the University of Detroit named their basketball court in his honor. He later earned a master's degree in education from what is now William Paterson University. He was close friends with Jim Valvano, also known as "Jimmy V", and continues to spearhead fundraising activities for the V Foundation for Cancer Research in his honor. Vitale is a Tampa Bay Rays season ticket holder and fan and is frequently spotted by fans sitting in the first row behind home plate at Tropicana Field. He is a native of East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he graduated from East Rutherford High School and later went on to coach. Vitale is now a resident of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, which is located near Bradenton, Florida. He appears once a week on Mike and Mike in the Morning, often mentioning The Broken Egg, a breakfast/brunch restaurant in Siesta Key and Lakewood Ranch.
On December 18, 2007, Vitale was diagnosed with lesions on his vocal cords. He underwent successful surgery and returned to announcing on February 6, calling the Duke-North Carolina game on ESPN, often exclaiming, "It's serendipity, baby!" when things come together. Before this, he had never missed a game due to illness.
Dick Vitale is married and has two daughters, both of whom attended the University of Notre Dame and played varsity tennis. He is frequently seen at Notre Dame football games and is an avid supporter of the school.
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