Obituary of Salvatore Passafaro

Salvatore Passafaro, 96, of North Caldwell, NJ, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 17, 2015 surrounded by his loving family at Mountainside Hospital, Montclair, NJ after a brief illness. Visitation will be at the Codey & Jones Funeral Home, 54 Roseland Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006 on Thursday, January 22nd from 6-9 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Notre Dame R.C. Church, 359 Central Avenue, North Caldwell, NJ 07006 on Friday, January 23rd at 10:00 am. The interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ. To extend condolences or share a memory, please visit www.codeyjonesfh.com. Born in Rumford, Maine to his parents, Leonardo and Paola, Salvatore and his family eventually moved to North Caldwell, NJ where he has lived for most of his life. In 1938, he graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and later received his Fireman's License from the State of New Jersey. Mr. Passafaro retired as Assistant Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds for the West Essex Regional School District Board of Education in North Caldwell, NJ after a dedicated 33-year career. He was publicly recognized by the Trustees of the Board of Education for heroic actions that prevented a catastrophic event involving the electrical system at the high school. During an interview with The Progress, he recalled, "We had no lights, power, air conditioning, or refrigeration. Public Service Electric and Gas and the Fire Department had been called in, but they wouldn't touch it. So I came in, risked my life, and went down to turn off the transformer." He also became a North Caldwell special police officer, serving in various capacities for numerous cultural and sporting events. Prior to his career at West Essex, he was a manager at the Greenbrook Poultry Farm in North Caldwell, which produced over 3.5 million eggs per year and housed over 50,000 White Leghorn hens and almost 120,000 turkeys. He was responsible for many areas of the farm's operations, including the medical and nutritional care for the laying and replacement flocks. As a representative of the farm, he traveled to meet with suppliers and other farm owners, including the celebrated Danish humorist and musician Victor Borge, and was profiled in several trade publications. Years later, he presented and shared information about the farm with organizations including the North Caldwell Historical Society and for publications such as West Essex, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland (Images of America: New Jersey) by Charles A. Poekel Jr. Mr. Passafaro was known for quiet participation, using his skills to solve problems and create. He was an active and founding member of Notre Dame Church in North Caldwell. Passionate about serving his community of faith, he was instrumental in arranging for Sunday services to be held at the local high school until a permanent structure was built. He continued to serve the church community for the rest of his life. Throughout his life, he also shared his passion for woodworking and various crafts with family, friends, and loved ones. Salvatore is survived by his wife of 72 years, Rose (nee Pressimone); children, David (Charleen), Rosemarie Ribaudo, Allen, and Rosanne Scriffignano (Anthony); 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren; siblings Margaret Di Giacomo and Arthur Passafaro. He was predeceased by his brothers, Anthony, Marcello, and Dominic; and sisters Rose Gorman and Theresa Carnavale. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the PBA local 81 at P.O. Box 81, Essex Fells, NJ 07021 or the Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey at 3 Manhattan Drive, Burlington, NJ 08016.