Teen Gets Scholarship in Honor of Beloved Woodbridge Couple

Woodbridge, NJ - The love story of this Port Reading couple touched thousands of lives.

And now, the very first scholarship has been given out in memory of Michael and Olympia DeNittis, the Woodbridge couple married for 67 years who died within 32 hours of each other.

Woodbridge High School senior Gerald Vargas received a $1,000 Michael and Olympia DeNittis Memorial Scholarship, from their foundation, the 67 Foundation. Vargas will attend Lincoln Technical Institute in Union in the fall, where he plans to become an automotive technician. He was given the scholarship May 25 at Woodbridge's Senior Awards Night.

Michael and Olympia's granddaughter created the scholarship, given to students who attend trade and vocational schools, in their honor: He was a cabinet maker and she was a seamstress.

"There are so few scholarship opportunities for students who pursue trade and vocational school — our next generations of plumbers, electricians, etc. — that I thought this would be a great way to honor their memory," said AnnMarie McDonald, the DeNittis' granddaughter. "My goal is to support students who embody my grandparents' spirit and work ethic."

First photo: Gerald's mother, Eleticia; Woodbridge High School guidance counselor Janet Engle; Gerald; Woodbridge High School vice-principal Matthew Connelly. Second and third photo: Michael and Olympia DeNittis on their wedding day, and in their later years.