Vernon Leon Alexis was born on November 18, 1962, in New York, NY to the late Vernon L. Alexis and Ida Mae Tyrone. His father passed away when Vernon was 5 years old. Thus, he was raised by his mother and three older sisters in the Bronx. As the baby in the family, Vernon was spoiled by his sisters and given the nickname “Kitty” or “Kitty Cat”, which stuck with him throughout his life.

As a teen Vernon enjoyed playing basketball, where his height, weight, and polished basketball skills made him a formidable power forward. He later flashed those skills in the Army which made him a popular fixture at Ft Bliss. The family moved to Shelton, Connecticut and in 1980 Vernon graduated from Shelton High School.

Following High School Vernon joined the ARMY in 1980. He attended the ARMY Aviation School where he learned Aviation Operations, Mechanical Maintenance, and Electronic & Mechanical certifications. Upon completion of that specialized training, Vernon was assigned to a Combat Aviation Brigade, in the 1st Armored Division at Ft Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Vernon served with distinction as a Crew Chief and Helicopter Mechanic for Army BLACK HAWK and APACHE helicopters.

Following his military service, Vernon attended Rutgers University in New Jersey, and briefly pursued aircraft maintenance in CT, before moving on to a position with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a civilian employee.

Like many young men, Vernon became an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and that passion continued throughout his life. You could often see him “discussing” the Cowboys with the many Dallas Cowboys haters in the northeast. He watched every game and followed every personnel action occurring throughout the year. Vernon was not just an avid football fan, he also enjoyed recently released movies and R&B songs and artists. He enjoyed cooking and especially “eating” fried chicken, collard greens, potato salad, and banana pudding. Additionally, KITTY was quite a hit with the ladies on the dance floor, and all of his friends would attest to this.

Besides all the bad habits such as following the Cowboys, Vernon also had a softer side. He truly loved his pet cat (Gianni). Also, his friends did not have to wait for election cycles to get into a deep discussion of the political scene and issues across the nation. Vernon was quite a talker, and he could get really “worked-up” discussing politics. Vernon was built like a power forward, so no one took those discussions too far. However, Vernon enjoyed periodic political discussions with his daughter Krystal.

Vernon died suddenly of natural causes at his residence in Morristown, NJ on the 8th of March 2024. He suffered from heart and kidney disease for several years prior to his passing. Vernon was on the kidney transplant recipients list when he passed.

Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Mernervia Jean Soberanis. He is survived by his daughter Krystal A. Alexis of New Haven, CT, and her mother Brenda; two sisters Geraldine Newman (Arthur) of Bowie, MD, and Marilyn Gimigliano of Bethlehem, PA. He is also survived by nieces/nephews Selene Fleming (Donald), Michael Newman, Dora-Andrea Cermeno (Juan), Stephanie Maandouche (Marouane), Stephen Gimigliano, and Lisa Gimigliano. Vernon also leaves great-nieces Liah Sinquefield, and Kennedy, Monroe and Berkeley Cermeno.

A memorial service to celebrate Vernon’s life and legacy will be held Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Cornerstone Christian Center, 349 Wheelers Farm Road, Milford, CT.  Entombment of Vernon’s cremated remains will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in the columbarium at State Veterans Cemetery, 317 Bow Lane, Middletown, CT.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to your favorite charity.