VICENZA, Italy – Community members bid farewell to a longtime Italian employee, Ivano Trevisanutto, who passed away Sept. 9.
Trevisanutto, 72, worked for the U.S. Army for 50 years – serving as the Chief of the Training Support Center and the Visual Information Manager. Part of the Training Support Activity Europe, 7th Army Training Command, the TSC supports Soldiers with readiness and training support – an effort Trevisanutto dedicated a half-century of his life to. Gregg Faggionato, a visual information specialist, recalled when Trevisanutto hired him 23 years ago.
“To me, he was a boss, a mentor, a friend, a father … everything,” Faggionato said. “His life was his job. He loved it so much, he was working every day.”
From his small office in Building 12 on Caserma Ederle, Trevisanutto managed challenging situations for decades, always meeting stressful situations with poise and kindness.
Trevisanutto, who called the nearby San Pio X neighborhood his home, leaves his wife, Manuela, and his daughter, Francesca. A loving husband and father, Trevisanutto was a churchgoing man who attended services at Chiesa Parrocchia della Madonna della Pace in the Stanga neighborhood adjacent to Caserma Ederle. Hundreds of his family members, friends and coworkers gathered there Sept. 13 for his funeral.
Raised in Vivaro, just east of Aviano Air Base, Trevisanutto spent time in France and served in the Italian Army before moving to Vicenza. With a degree as an interpreter – he spoke Italian, French, German and English – Trevisanutto found work at Caserma Ederle, first processing film. He later worked at Camp Darby in Pisa. Chiara Mattirolo, a public affairs specialist at Camp Darby, first met Trevisanutto 35 years ago when he taught classes there on training and communication, she said.
“He took me under his wing immediately and taught me all about how to manage a public speech, how to brief a crowd,” Mattirolo said. “He spoiled me by gifting me with a laser pointer – it was a new tool then – boards, fancy folders and all I needed to acquire confidence, lessons that I will never forget.”
Despite the distance, Trevisanutto’s enthusiasm and support for Mattirolo sustained for more than three decades. He never missed year, offering Mattirolo a birthday greeting or a Mimosa flower on International Women’s Day.
“He will be missed,” she said.
Whether briefing visiting African military leaders on U.S. Army training or explaining the nuances of environmental laws during sustainable training area management workshops, Trevisanutto was known to handle challenging situations with focus and tact.
In recent years, he was a strong supporter of the “American Military Italian Civilian Integration” program, known as AMICI, the Italian word for “friends.” In the Summer of 2023, he was teaching Italian coworkers the fine art of effective operational briefing techniques.
News of Trevisanutto’s passing reached James Matheson of New Jersey, one of the many colleagues who he affected over the years. He described Trevisanutto as a consummate leader, mentor, and friend who made life better for everyone he was in contact. That included Matheson’s children and grandchildren, he said.
“Always a distinguished gentleman, I learned so much from Ivano about the way to conduct myself and lead my life,” Matheson said. “He was truly part of my family and one of the very best friends I have ever had in my life. I will miss him dearly.”
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