Salvatore P. "Sal" Mele's Obituary
MELE, SALVATORE P. “SAL” was born on October 8, 1932 in Queens, New York and died peacefully at his home in Dallas, Texas on November 13, 2013 after a long illness. He was a graduate of St. Johns University, where he met his wife, Elaine, whom he married in 1954. He spent two years in the U.S. Army after college. He had a very successful career in pharmaceutical sales at Pfizer, Mead Johnson and Bristol Myers-Squibb which took him from New York to Indiana and ultimately to Dallas, where he brought his family in 1975 and eventually retired. Sal was a man of passionate interests, most especially in music (as shown in his collection of reproducing pianos and piano rolls as well as music boxes), in art (as shown by his own masterful oil paintings), gardening, miniature trains, reading, world affairs and sports. He and Elaine spent numerous years as sponsor couples for the engaged at St. Rita and were active with St. Rita Fine Arts. Sal was a long-time member of the Dallas Museum of Art, the Music Box Society, and the Automated Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association (AMICA), where he served for several years as its president. Sal and Elaine enjoyed season tickets to the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, and the Dallas Wind Symphony for many years. Sal was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Josephine Mele and is survived by his beloved wife, Elaine, his sister Carmela Leone (Augie), his four daughters, Celeste Mele, Paula Mele-Weatherbie (David), Claudia Walter (Jeff), and Monica Mele, his grandchildren, Francesca, Isabella and Gabriela Walter, many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. The family would like to thank the caregivers from Home Instead and Faith Presbyterian Hospice for the good care provided. A visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home on Sunday, November 17, 2013. A funeral mass will be held at St. Rita Catholic Church, 12521 Inwood Road, Dallas, Texas 75244, at 10:00 a.m., Monday, November 18, 2013. Burial will follow the funeral at Restland. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Sal’s name to Parkinson Voice Project, 646 N. Coit Rd., #2250, Richardson, TX 75080; St. Rita’s Catholic Church, 12521 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75244; or Faith Presbyterian Hospice, 4350 Sigma Road, #400, Dallas, TX 75244.
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