Salvatore Cavallaro

Salvatore Cavallaro, 98, a long-time resident of Glen Head, NY, passed away on August 26, 2019 in Rye Brook, NY. A first generation Italian-American, he was born on April 5, 1921 in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. The youngest of three children, his parents were a stone mason and a fashion embroiderer. As a young man, he apprenticed as a plumber; however his older sister, a high school teacher, encouraged him to attend college. After graduating from Pratt Institute with a degree in electrical engineering, he joined the Naval officer training program in 1942 at the onset of World War II. Sal served in the Navy in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater as a ship commander. He achieved the rank of lieutenant and was awarded a Victory Ribbon.  After WWII, he joined the Naval Reserves and subsequently served in the Korean conflict from 1951 and 1952. Sal was licensed as a Professional Engineer and had a long and distinguished career working for Westinghouse, American Electric Power, Burns and Roe, and Gibbs & Hill. Following retirement, he continued working as a sought after independent consultant into his late 70’s. Over the course of his career, he was involved in various projects including the plans and construction of the landmark Seagram building, TVA hydroelectric power and Southern rural electrification; projects in the Middle East and South America; and in later years, transit engineering including the New York City Subway and LIRR rail cars. Sal was a devoted and beloved family man who had many interests and enjoyed an active life, from sailing with his children to taking up skiing in his fifties, and continuing to swim, ice skate, bicycle, and garden well into his eighties and nineties.  He was a resident of Glen Head from 1954 to 2016, when he moved to Westchester County to be closer to his family. His beloved wife of 66 years, Claire, predeceased him in 2014. He is survived by his children Sahli, Claire (Candy), and Michael, grandson Will and great grandson Jack. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, who taught us by example how to love and care for each other, and we will miss him dearly.

Visitation will be at Coffey Funeral Home on Wednesday August 28, 2019 from 4PM to 8PM. Private Funeral Services with Military Honors will be on Thursday at 11:00 at the Chapel at Ferncliff Cemetery.

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