10/19/2026
Below is the obituary I wrote for ny brother Tom's funeral services next Tue/Wed... details at the end...
Date: October 19, 2026
Name: Thomas Lawrence Vignieri
Run Date: WEBSITE
Thomas Lawrence Vignieri left the world that he enriched with his music on Thursday, July 30, 2026. In hospice, and surrounded by loving family, he finally lost his long courageous fight against cancer, and slipped away to join the heavenly choirs.
Born August 10, 1961, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he was brought home from St. Catherine’s Hospital to be raised on “the farm” in Paris Township. This was the home of Kenosha Packing Company, his father Charles’ business, began by his grandfather Frank Vignieri who immigrated to the US from Italy 4 decades earlier. Lorraine (Vanderwarn) Tom’s mother had already had 6 children when he came along and would have yet two more! So, Tom was the 7th child of 9 kids, and the 5th of seven boys!
Tom attended grade school at St. Peter’s Catholic School through 1975 and then went on to St. Joseph’s High School. During these formative school years Tom would work summers at “The Plant” (for Dad’s Company) just like his older siblings before him. Also, during this season of his life, he began studying piano with a retired school teacher located in Somer’s Township... Mrs. Marjorie Bullamore.
Both Thomas and his older brother Joseph started piano lessons at the same time, but long after Joseph gave up, Tom continued. He dedicated himself to mastering the keyboard, playing for countless hours on an old upright piano in the basement. This was the beginning of a lifelong passion for music. Tom once remarked with humor, that he was much more interested in making up his own “little tunes” then actually learning the lesson that Mrs. Bullamore had planned for him.
Next on the path was Carthage College, where Thomas earned his BA in music. There, he continued developing his piano skills under his beloved piano teacher, Dr. Steve Smith. He also became a valued member of the Carthage Choir under the college’s great choral director, Dr. John Windh. But most of all, he focused on his new-found passion... composing and augmented his studies with private instruction from Dr. Wagner at UW Parkside. After graduating Carthage, he was off to Boston University to work towards a master’s degree in music composition. He believed that the East Coast was the center of the universe for music, and he answered its call.
During summer semesters, select BU students would be given positions at the Tanglewood Institute, which was the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Thomas parlayed this temp position into being a member of full-time staff, and then quickly worked his way up to being the Musical Director of the Institute. Next was another step up. Thomas was invited to become Artistic Administrator of the Handel Haydn Society, a professional chorus and period instrument orchestra. At HHS he worked with the great Christopher Hogwood and began moving in the circles of world class musicians.
His next big career move was a memorable 12-year tenure working as the Musical Director for From the Top, a weekly Public Radio program. This program gives musically gifted young people a national stage for their talents. His job was to find and then vet all the young musicians in order to line up talent for the broadcasts. This position had Thomas traveling all over the country, even all over the world. Thomas led the musical production for more than 250 episodes featuring more than 1200 young musicians!
He was serving as Music Producer when the production company decided to try television, launching the TV series From the Top at Carnegie Hall. The show won an Emmy in the category of best new Public Television Series of 2008! When they heard of his Emmy back in Kenosha, Carthage College decided to honor Thomas with the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Coincidentally, they had just selected Tom’s father Charles to be the 2009 recipient of the prestigious lifetime achievement honor, the New Town Award! Carthage President Greg Campbell honored “father and son” together with a ceremony on campus, and the Emmy was displayed at the Carthage library for some time.
All of this impressive resume is dwarfed by Thomas’ contributions with his own symphony and choral compositions. It was his passion to compose, and he wrote many memorable pieces! Amongst them is: There Will Come Soft Rains, The Tides, Haec Dies, Two Songs for Tenor and Piano, Two Poems in Homage to Music, Walk With Me, To Journey, and many more. Thomas wrote a special piece entitled An American Hymn which was an homage to his parent’s generation that survived the Great Depression and WWII. This piece was even played by a symphony orchestra on the National Mall for a 4th of July Celebration!
Tom’s credits include being commissioned as a composer by Masterworks Coral of Boston, Melrose Symphony Orchestra, Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble, the Chamber Music Connection of Columbus, Carthage College, From the Top, the Metropolitan Chorale of Brookline, and the Handel Haydn Society.
In his personal life, Thomas and his wife, Alison (Amherst) were raising two children, Anna Rosaria and Alexsei Charles, just outside of Boston in the Brookline community. After Tom’s father passed away in 2015, Tom and Ali made this decision to move to Devon England, where the kids could be close to their many English relatives, and Tom could focus on composing music.
Thomas is survived by his wife, Ali; his daughters, Anna and Alexsei, as well as seven siblings, Allan (Karla) Vignieri, Susan Seymour, Dennis Vignieri, Patricia (Daniel) Palmer, Joseph Vignieri, Daniel (Jodi) Vignieri, and Mark (Pattie Carey) Vignieri.
Thomas was preceded in death by his beloved mom and dad, Lorraine and Charles Vignieri, and his elder brother, Richard Vignieri.
A gathering of relatives and friends honoring Thomas’ life will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Piasecki Funeral Home. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Inurnment will follow in St. George Cemetery.
Piasecki Funeral Home & Cremation Services
3720 39th Avenue 262-658-4101
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