Salvatore (Sal / Pops) J. DeAngelo, a lifelong resident of Greenwich, passed away 
peacefully, surrounded by family, on March 18, 2024 at age 100.
His family celebrates his beautiful example of a life filled with contentment and his unwavering attention to what mattered most to him – spending time with other people.
Sal was born July 26, 1923, to Frank and Rafaela DeAngelo, Italian immigrants from Rose, Italy. Sal and his seven siblings; Mary, Charles, Bruno, Angie, Rosie, Millie and Edith grew up in the tight-knit Chickahominy neighborhood near St. Roch Church, where his father tended a large garden and the family spent countless hours enjoying the shade of their grape arbor.
Sal attended Hamilton Avenue School and Greenwich High School. The Greenwich Boys Club was also a formative part of his youth, for developing a lifelong passion for sports. He earned the nickname “Spike” from being such a good baseball player.
Sal enlisted in the US Army in 1943 serving his country with the 96th Signal Corp Battalion in WWII in the China, Burma, and India theaters. His family received the surprise and thrill of a lifetime when he returned home from war on Christmas Day, 1945.
Sal spent 47 years working in sales / customer service for the Allen Brothers Cadillac-Oldsmobile dealership. Like many of the young men he grew up with, he worked as a waiter at Manero’s Restaurant and loved to tell the story that he waited on Yankee baseball great, Joe DiMaggio.
Sal met the love of his life, Anne, while playing softball at Bruce Park. He took her to the Bruce Park Grill after the game and the rest is history as they married in 1956, raising three children: Bob, Don and Dina in a newly built house near Central Junior High School.
Greenwich was Sal’s town; he truly loved living here. A drive in the car with Sal was a traveling history lesson of Greenwich. He and Anne had a fabulous group of life-long friends that were founding members of St. Agnes Church. He stayed active by playing tennis, handball and racquetball at the YMCA.
Sal was a voracious reader and loved crossword puzzles and ice cream. He was a 4th degree Knights of Columbus member. He and Anne loved going to Tod’s Point Beach, and just relaxing on the patio overlooking their pool. With great pride, Sal was a member of the Retired Men’s Association (RMA) and a Red Baron volunteer at Greenwich Hospital amassing 22,000 hours. On his 100 th birthday last year, he was presented the “Volunteer of the Century Award” by Greenwich Hospital.
Pop’s great sources of pride and happiness were his wife, children, grandchildren, and many nieces / nephews, cousins and friends. He was a great storyteller. He lived totally in the moment, being happy where and who he was with. He possessed the great gift of making people feel welcome. He wanted to help you with anything and to look out for you.
His own words convey the essence of his life, “I have had a truly wonderful life. I was lucky to be raised in Greenwich. I was blessed with a super wife, children and grandchildren and had many friends. I could not ask for anymore.”
Sal was predeceased by his wife, parents, and siblings and is survived by Bob / Jan (Annie, Julia, Scott), Don / Carolyn, and Dina (Bela, Ines). His grandchildren already dearly miss hearing him share stories of his life, from chewing gum tulips to his wish for a red wagon, to pizza fritta for breakfast, and the way his eyes lit up and he expressed himself with gestures. The intergenerational friendship and closeness they enjoyed with him is one of the biggest joys of their lives.
Sal’s ashes were laid to rest next to Anne’s at Saint Mary Cemetery. A celebration of life memorial mass will be held on Tuesday, May 14 at 11:00am at Saint Michael Church in Greenwich.
Castiglione Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
A very special thanks to Doctors Jim Brunetti, Frank Walsh and Chris Howes for their years of care and support. We truly thank Erika as well as the entire staff of the Short-Term Rehabilitation Center / The Nathaniel Witherell for their loving and professional care of Sal.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Sal’s memory to The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich and Friends of Greenwich Point.