Anthony Savas

Refusing to Retire
Anthony Savas had seen a lot as a young man. He had served in Korea, where he saved a friend who stepped on a land mine. "He wasn't one who wanted to see the world particularly," said Phaedra, his wife of 42 years. "He had seen enough of it."

Instead, Mr. Savas was content moving between his home in Astoria, Queens, his job as a construction inspector with the Port Authority and his beach house on Long Island's North Fork. "He was 72, but he refused to retire," Mrs. Savas said. "Every couple of years he'd tell me that he'd retire in a couple of years."

He looked at least a decade younger than his age. He worked out on a rowing machine. He loved cigars. He woke at 5:45 every morning to head for work.

"He was a very up guy," his wife said. "If I fought with him, he would never stay angry. He would come back with something to make me laugh and forget about it."

Most of all he loved going to his beach house with his three children and two grandchildren. "Every morning when we were there, he would march to the flag pole with Jessica ‹ she's almost 3 ‹ and they'd plant the flag," Mrs. Savas said. "He used to just put out the flag on holidays, but when he was with Jessie he'd do it every day. I don't know why. Sure, he was patriotic, but I guess it was also a way to bond with Jessie. We're trying to save pictures and mementos to keep him alive for her."