Born in Termini, Sicily, in 1935, Salvatore immigrated to Canada when he was 16. He journeyed to join his family in Toronto, before choosing to continue on to Winnipeg on his own. There he worked at a shoe factory before becoming a crane operator at CP Rail, where he worked until retirement. In 1959, Salvatore met his wife, Maria, and the two were married in 1962. They were happily married for sixty-two years.
In 1978, Salvatore co-founded the Sicilian Club with his brother-in-law and his friends. For over thirty years, the club brought together the Winnipeg Sicilian community to celebrate their culture through Folkorama, food, and dance.
He loved to travel. For the last 17 years, Salvatore and Maria spent their winters in Mexico. He would visit the port to see the boats and talk with the fishermen, gather sea urchins at the beach, and host dinners with his friends. Salvatore also made frequent visits to Toronto to visit his family and shop for Italian foods he swore he could only find there.
Salvatore enjoyed cooking, especially for his family and friends. His arancini was known across the city and he staunchly guarded the secret ingredient – although his grandson was able to wheedle the recipe out of him. Salvatore was happiest with a house full of people and a table full of food. He also loved to fish and hunt, driving to Otter Falls in the early hours to launch his boat and catch pickerel (and never, ever, caught more than the government limit). His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren spent many hours on the water with him, learning how to fish and frustrating him if they caught more than him.
Salvatore is predeceased by his parents, Agostino and Vincenza, and his siblings, Maria, Vincenzo, Antonina, Salvatora, and Giuseppa. Salvatore is survived by his wife, Maria (née Siragusa); his children Agostino (Maria), Riccardo (Natalina), Piero (Francesca), and Vincenza; his grandchildren Andrew (Monica), Maria-Antonia, Carlina, Brianna, Anthony, Cassandra, and Tatianna; and his great-grandchildren Alessandro, Mattea, and Alessia. Salvatore is also fondly remembered by his sister-in-laws, cousins, many nieces and nephews, and his friends.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Ted St. Godard and the team at the Saint Boniface Palliative Care Ward for their exceptional care.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Salvatore’s name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Cancer Care Manitoba.
There will be a private viewing for the family on Wednesday, March 20. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, March 21 at Holy Rosary Church. Condolences are at 10:00 a.m. and Mass begins at 11:00 a.m. Following the mass, Salvatore will be laid to rest at Holy Angel Mausoleum at Green Acres Cemetery, with a luncheon served afterwards in the Legacy Room at Green Acres Funeral Home.