Salvatore A. DiGeronimo

On October 11, in the presence of those who loved him, Salvatore Anthony DiGeronimo went to heaven to be with his beautiful wife, Carole. Sal was born in 1932 in San Francisco to his parents, Michelangelo and Filomena (“Minnie”). Sal grew up with his two brothers, Joe and Anthony, in North Beach during the Great Depression and World II. During those years, his father was the head tailor at the City of Paris.

Sal graduated from Sacred Heart High School where he lettered in multiple sports. Sal attended USF from which he received a bachelor’s degree in English, participated in ROTC, and ran track for the Dons. After college, Sal headed to Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX as part of the Army’s Nike missile program. While on leave, Sal attended a New Year’s Eve party at the San Francisco Italian-American Club where he met and danced the night away with his future wife, Carole Ann Paganucci.

After being stationed in Germany, Sal returned to San Francisco where he was reunited with Carole. They married in 1959 and eventually settled in Fremont. Sal and Carole raised their three children, Michael, Robert (Bob), and Mary, in the home that Sal would continue to reside in for the rest of his life. He worked as a teacher and vice-principal in the Hayward Unified School District for over 40 years. Following his retirement, he worked part-time at the California School for the Blind. Until recently, Sal volunteered as a Eucharistic minister at Kaiser’s Hospital sharing his faith, corny jokes, and zest for life with patients and staff.

To all of us who knew him, Sal was a kind, loving person and man of great faith. He was an active parishioner at Holy Spirt Catholic Church for close to sixty years.  He loved a good party, dancing to Y.M.C.A., and just talking to anyone who was lucky enough to hang out with him. Sal was a self-taught gourmet chef who loved to cook. His Italian gravy with ravioli was his signature dish and his peach and apple pies were legendary. He loved sports, especially cheering for the 49ers, and was an avid swimmer personally trained by the legendary Alberti Family.

Sal is predeceased by his wife Carole after a beautiful marriage of 47 years. He is survived by his children, Michael, Bob, and Mary, daughter-in-law Marianna, Michael’s fiancee Amy Zeller, six grandchildren (Ryan, Matthew, Bryce, Michael, Anna Maria, and Sophia), sister-in-law Elaine Del Barga, his faithful companion PJ (his dog), and many other wonderful relatives and friends who cherished Sal. A funeral mass for Sal will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fremont on Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 a.m. Donations may be made in Sal’s name to maryknollsisters.org.