Salvatore “Jr.” D'Amico, of Medford and formerly of Wakefield, passed away on Tuesday, September 4th at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was 74.
Born in Stoneham, he was raised in Wakefield and was the son of the late Salvatore and Mary L. (Moreno) D'Amico. Jr. graduated from the Wakefield High School with the Class of 1961.
Jr. was a family man through and through. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren and always made a point to be involved with their lives and interests. He was loving and selfless person and a true caregiver to everyone in his life.
Jr. worked as a truck driver for Emery World Wide, which was later acquisitioned by UPS. He was a proud member of the Teamsters Local 25, and retired in 1998. Following his retirement, Jr. spent much of his time with family and friends.
In his spare time, Jr. enjoyed fishing at his cottage in Wakefield, New Hampshire. He preferred fresh water fishing and was regarded as a great fisherman, though he was only in it for recreation. Jr. loved nature and spending time outdoors. As a child and young man, he would annually go hunting with his father and uncle.
Later in his retirement, Jr. loved spending time with his grandchildren. He was given the honorary title of ‘Granddaughter Chauffer’ as he enjoyed dropping off and picking up his granddaughter from school each day.
With time permitting, Jr. enjoyed playing cards with his friends as well as meeting them for dinner at the Italian American Club in Winchester. He was also an avid coin collector, a hobby of his that was fostered as a young man. When he was able to, he would use ebay to sell and buy new additions to his collection.
Jr. was an excellent cook and enjoyed being the host for many family occasions and holidays. He loved being in the kitchen and his family loved when he was too. He had so many delicious recipes. Some of his family’s favorites were Jr.’s homemade meatballs, gravy, pasta and eggplant. His favorite holidays were Christmas and the Fourth of July. Jr. always looked forward to decorating the house and bringing his family and friends together.
Jr. was the beloved husband of Marie A. (Terravecchia) D’Amico. They met as young adults at what they called ‘Dial-A-Dance’ on Route 1 in Saugus. The two married on March 1, 1969 at St. Eulalia Church in Winchester. Together they shared 49 loving years of marriage. He was the devoted father of Salvatore J. D’Amico and his wife Celicia of Dracut and Ann J. D’Amico of Medford. Jr. was the loving grandfather of Salvatore J. D’Amico Jr. of Dracut and Mia A. LaPorte of Medford. Jr. was the dear brother of Paula Manning and her husband Daniel of Arizona. He was the cherished uncle of Danny Manning of California, Tina Dampolo and her husband Scott of Stoneham and the cherished great uncle of Tara Teneriello and her husband Mike of Stoneham.
His funeral will be from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford, on Monday, September 10th at 9 AM followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High Street, Medford at 10 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday from 4 through 8 PM. Services will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Salvatore’s name may be sent to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005.