Alexander "Al" Joseph Caputo, Sr.

Alexander Joseph Caputo Sr. was born in 1942, in Washington D.C., to Katherine & Carl Caputo. He was raised in Queens, New York, where he grew up working in the family-owned demolition company. At a very early age, he learned to appreciate the value of hard work, perseverance, and the many ways to earn a dollar. This beginning set him on a lifelong, entrepreneurial course.

He attended Catholic school from elementary through high school and never forgot the teachings of the Jesuit Brothers. In 1963, Al graduated with a BA from Southern Illinois University. In 1964 he married Sandy Horning. The couple returned to New York where Al continued to work in the family business and they begin raising their three children Gina, Jay and Jennifer,

Always an adventurous spirit, it wasn’t long before opportunity called and Al packed up his young family and headed to Orlando in 1972, where he quickly became an integral part of the area’s developing tourist industry. His early pursuits included building a hotel and the establishment of his own, “Travel with Image”, where he initiated the first, computerized, airline reservation system, contributing to the agency’s growth and success as an industry leader, to, ultimately, become the largest travel agency in Orlando.

Al was always a man ahead of his time whose unstoppable, creative energy paired perfectly with a team of other, aspiring entrepreneurs, all cultivating tourism in an area the world was just beginning to discover. He gained respect and notoriety, organizing countless, “Florida Fever” excursions, credited with introducing both domestic and international travelers to Central Florida’s unique and magical experiences.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Al had a keen ear for opportunity’s knock and partnered the strength of Travel with Image with other innovators in the area’s travel industry to form “Image International, Incorporated.” The organization’s full, one-stop event planning and production services, garnered recognition in the quickly expanding corporate and convention industry of 1980s Orlando.

Under Al’s direction and, with his keen, business acumen, Image International soared as an industry leader and innovator, producing hundreds of parties and events annually, including spectaculars like “New Year’s Eve in Vienna” at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, “New Year’s Eve with the Phantom” at Marriott’s Orlando World Center, the first, “Halloween Spooktacular” at Sea World, the first, “Holiday Happenings,” and the first, two “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios, Florida.

He was equally passionate about his children’s endeavors, finding time to be very involved in supporting their involvement with Lake Mary High School’s marching band, organizing fundraisers and trips. He and was particularly honored to organize the band’s epic participation in The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1984.

At a point in his career, when others may have chosen to wind down, Al embraced even greater challenges, producing the dedication for the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1995 and, in the summer of 1996, Al designed and operated full-service hospitality venues for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Retirement, even after selling Image International in 1998, never comfortably fit the man whose imagination and energy kept him seeking another challenge or hobby. Add Schuller Contractors Incorporated to Al’s entrepreneurial legacy, a respected name in the Orlando construction industry, its strong foundation secured by his enduring knowledge, thriving and doing well today, remaining for a new generation to carry on.

As life continued and his direction and focus changed, he found great pleasure in watching his children grow into adulthood and shared their successes with irrepressible pride and immeasurable joy. Al thoroughly enjoyed watching his daughter, Gina, marry and become a fantastic mother to his three, amazing grandchildren whom he adored completely.

No one was more thrilled then he to witness his son, Jay, and daughter, Jennifer, thrive and excel in the entertainment industry, living his, not-so-secret, passion, vicariously through the success that each achieved.

In 2004, Al married his longtime love, Wanda. This union added another daughter, Heather, to his family and, soon to follow, two more, beautiful grandchildren to adulate.

Not to leave anything undone, Al chose to pursue and fulfill just one more dream, the product of his long, deep-seated passion and produce his own, original concept for musical theatre. His collaboration with old friends, artfully illuminated individual talents, and culminated in Suddenly Seniors The Musical, which successfully played on two stages over two-dozen, mostly sold-out performances in 2011. His pride and joy reverberated in each carefully chosen word, imagery, dance move, and musical note.

“Big Al,” as he is referred to by so many, certainly left his mark on Orlando and on countless lives and hearts where he remains beloved for an enthusiasm and fearlessness that paved pathways in directions to destinations wherever his heart led him.

Al is preceded in death by his parents, Katherine and Carl Caputo, brother, Carl, and his sister, Teresa; and is survived by his wife, Wanda, children; Gina (Dean) DiPaolo, Alexander J. Caputo Jr., Jennifer Caputo, and step-daughter, Heather (Jonathan) Steding, and grandchildren; Christian, Ava, Alexandra, Dublin & Fenway.

Donations to Al’s favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, is an alternative to sending flowers.