Brian E. Vaccaro

Portsmouth – Brian Ellis Vaccaro, of Portsmouth, died on Friday, April 29, 2016. Brian was born on December 11, 1977 in Attleboro, MA, the son of Bob Vaccaro of Portsmouth and Jackie Ellis of Kittery Point, ME. He was raised in Portsmouth and graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1996. Brian attended UNH and Keene State before completing a degree in Culinary Arts from McIntosh College. He worked in many Portsmouth area restaurants and most recently was providing home elder care for a family member. Brian found a way to connect with nearly everyone he met and loved cooking and caring for friends, family and housemates. He hiked the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, and biked more than the circumference of the earth during frequent rides around the seacoast. He loved to road-trip in his camper, and traveled from Key West to Alaska, Newfoundland to Mexico. Along the way he attended Burning Man and music festivals across the country. He played guitar and could frequently be found enjoying live music in Portsmouth. Brian’s adventurous, passionate, always sincere and incredibly kind spirit will be missed by family and friends. In addition to his parents, Brian is survived by his loving sisters, Amie Vaccaro of San Francisco, CA and Lynn Vaccaro and husband Jason Demers of Ann Arbor, MI as well as two beloved nieces. A memorial service will be held at South Church Unitarian Universalist, 292 State St, on May 21st at 11am, with a reception to celebrate his life to follow at his home in Portsmouth. Family and friends are invited. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to The Ramble or Seacoast Pathways. The Ramble is an annual benefit concert organized by one of Brian’s favorite bands – the Adam Ezra Group – and their non-profit organization RallySound that uses music to build community and inspire activism.This year, all donations go directly to Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. Brian attended The Ramble on Salisbury Beach several times and one of his final wishes was to make a contribution. To learn more: www.getrambled.com To donate: http://tinyurl.com/rambleforbrianvaccaro Seacoast Pathways is a Portsmouth evidence-based recovery program for adults with mental health issues. It provides a variety of activities designed to help people reintegrate into the wider community through purposeful work and meaningful relationships. Brian’s mom helped start this new organization and serves on the board. To learn more or make a donation: www.seacoastpathways.org Please indicate that your contribution is in honor of Brian.

Brian E. Vaccaro

December 11, 1977 - April 29, 2016