Romeo A. Vidone, MD, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026 after a long illness.

Romeo A. Vidone, MD, former Chairman of the Department of Pathology at Saint Raphael Hospital and Associate Professor of Pathology at the Yale School of Medicine, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026 after a long illness. He was 95. Dr. Vidone was a highly respected physician, pathologist, educator, and researcher whose career spanned more than seven decades in the Yale / New Haven medical communities. Born in 1930 in Greenwich, Connecticut, he graduated magna cum laude from Davis & Elkins College in 1953 and earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine in 1957. After completing his pathology residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and serving briefly in the U.S. Navy, he joined the Yale faculty and went on to hold several leadership roles.

Dr. Vidone served as Chairman of the Department of Pathology at Saint Raphael Hospital beginning in 1977, a position he held for over 30 years, while also serving as an Associate Professor of Pathology at Yale School of Medicine. He was President of the Saint Raphael medical staff in the 1990s, a long-time delegate to the American Medical Association, and an active member of numerous professional organizations. Over his career, he authored more than 100 medical publications, including a study of mesothelioma cases in Connecticut in an attempt to identify high risk jobs, industries and geographic locations associated with risks attributable to asbestos exposure in the workplace.

His research contributions were especially influential during the 1960s and 1970s and remain widely cited. His research focused on the prognostic histology of various cancers and pulmonary conditions. His work demonstrated how histologic patterns in tissues and lymph nodes can predict patient outcomes, particularly in cervical cancer. His contributions to the field of gynecological pathology were preeminent. He also made foundational contributions to studies on pulmonary hypertension, viral oncology, thyroid and prostate cancers, and asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. His research helped shape modern understanding of prognostic pathology.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Vidone was deeply committed to his community and faith. He served as past president of the Parish Council at Holy Infant Church, hosted a daily medical radio talk show in the 1980s, and was honored with the Father Michael J. McGivney Award for his work supporting the Catholic Church’s sainthood cause for Father McGivney. In 2010, following the death of his beloved wife Lena, an infertility patient of the famous Yale obstetrician Dr. C. Lee Buxton, Vidone made a major philanthropic contribution to the Hospital of Saint Raphael Obstetrics Unit to honor his wife’s memory and the new hospital wing was named the Vidone Birth Center, which since has been relocated to the main campus at Yale New Haven Hospital.

He leaves behind his family, including his daughters Debra (Bruce) Levin and Linda Vidone, a son Marc Vidone, and grandsons Joseph Levin, Matthew Levin and Marc Vidone, Jr. He was predeceased by his wife Lena, his parents, Romeo and Albertina Donnatelli Vidone, and his brother Robert.

Dr. Vidone will be long remembered for his professionalism, his kindness and his dedication to helping others. He was charismatic, thoughtful and generous with his time assisting the community on many issues, both medical and non-medical. Dr. Vidone was a brilliant physician, mentor, researcher and educator in the field of pathology.

Friends are asked to call at the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad St., Milford CT 06460, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Burial services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in memory of Dr. Romeo Vidone can be made to the Department of Pathology at Yale School of Medicine.
Secure online donations can be made here. givetoday.yale.edu/campaigns/67229/donations/new?designation=41216
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To light a candle or leave a condolence please visit CodywhiteFuneralService.com