Morton M. Vitriol, World War II veteran, dies at 88

The thought of Morton M. Vitriol being a tough guy was always something of an oddity for his son and daughter.

He's the father who taught Robert Vitriol how to play baseball and be a dutiful Cub Scout. He's the father who sat patiently as Shari Vitriol tried on nearly every outfit in every department store once when the two went shopping in New York City.

But he also served in the Army's 69th Infantry Division during World War II, concealing a hearing condition so he could enlist. And he's the guy who stopped a man from hitting a pregnant woman on a New York subway train, saying, "Before you hit this woman you have to hit me first."

Vitriol, a one-time research manager at Newsday who had a lengthy career in the business side of New York publishing, died Saturday of heart disease at St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill, family said. He was 88 and lived from 1958 to 2001 in Plainview before moving to Woodbury.

Robert Vitriol, 54, of Plainview, said his father was his "best friend." And his daughter Shari Vitriol, of Nesconset, while recognizing his soft, endearing side, also said her father was never one to "take the easy way out."

Vitriol was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Europe, his son said. He graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in business and embarked on a career that saw him work at the New York Herald Tribune newspaper, BusinessWeek, Parade magazine and Newsday, in the late 1980s to early '90s.

His chivalrous subway stand happened in 1951, the year he married his wife, Gloria, family said.

"He would step forward," Shari Vitriol said. "His bravery wasn't just being in the service; it was the way he carried himself his whole life."

Vitriol also passed down his passions for the Yankees, the Jets and fencing, his children said.

His son said even as his father aged, he displayed a measure of calm. "About a year or two ago, I remember him saying, 'Don't cry and be sad when I die. Celebrate my life not my death,' " Robert Vitriol said.

In addition to his son and daughter, Vitriol is survived by his wife, also of Woodbury, one grandchild, and a sister, Sondra Green of Michigan.

Burial was Monday at Wellwood Cemetery.