SALVATORE SCALI

March 29, 1929 - January 16, 2026
With profound sadness we announce the passing of one of the world's finest gentlemen, Salvatore Scali, aged 96, who passed away peacefully at Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, with his loving wife and family by his side, on January 16, 2026.

Salvatore was born March 29, 1929, in Cittanova, and raised in Mammola, Reggio Calabria, Italy. He emigrated to Port Arthur, Canada in 1956, to marry his hometown sweetheart, Carmela Furfaro. Together they raised two beautiful children, Jim and Josie, and would soon have celebrated 70 blessed years of marriage. They created a truly beautiful life together, rooted in devotion, resilience, and joy. Theirs was a true love story marked by affection, respect, laughter, and unwavering devotion to God, their faith and the remarkable family they had raised.

He was a hard-working and deeply devoted family man who gave his children a wonderful life of opportunity and he instilled very strong values and morals on the importance of being respectful and honest. He especially valued spending time with his only grandson, Vincent, and passed down many traditions of his Italian roots, and shared numerous stories about his birthplace. He took great pride in watching him grow up, and sharing countless hours watching the Montreal Canadians hockey games, fishing, hunting, many memorable years at the family camp which he had named "Costa del Sole" and dancing the Tarantella, while he serenaded us on his button accordion.

Sam, as he was known to everyone, was an amazing man who emanated honour and respect, all his life, and was completely dedicated to building a good life for his family. He was a passionate, principled and self-made man, who was known for his strength, vigour, and tough work ethic. His first job was working for Crittal Construction, followed by 28 years with Great Lakes Steel. During this time, he studied and obtained his provincial Hoisting Engineer Class A licence. The last 13 years, before his retirement, he worked for Coastal Steel, a company that he highly respected and appreciated.

Sam was an avid outdoorsman, and he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and worked diligently in his huge garden. He always shared his annual crops with neighbours and friends. He was extremely proud of his Italian heritage and his humble beginning. He was also well known for his homemade wine, of which he enjoyed gifting many bottles to his family and friends.

Some of his fondest memories were times spent at his camp on Amethyst Heights on Lake Superior, where he always had an open door and created a party with every visitor that came. He enjoyed playing bocce and weekly card games with his special Compare's and friends, and afterward, they would enjoy regular dinner gatherings at local restaurants together. Despite his fearless attitude, Sam had a good sense of humour, a positive outlook, and enjoyed exchanging funny stories and jokes with his friends. His infinite joy and happiness came from being with his family and friends. He was always full of love and care and was always there to give a helping hand to anyone in need. He was respected by everyone around him for being a true gentleman and honest family man. Sam lived a full and vibrant life marked by passionate pursuits, devotion, determination, and a deep love for his family. Taking care of his family was central to his purpose in life.

He is survived and lovingly remembered and missed by his devoted, caring wife and love of his life, Carmela; his son Dr. Jim Scali, his daughter Josie (Tony) Riccio, and his loving grandson, Vincent Riccio (Vanessa), and his two special great-grandchildren: Olivia and Matteo Riccio.

Also surviving are brother: Cosimo (Giudittina) Scali, sisters: Giuseppina Rinaldis, Caterina (Angelo) Cardillo, all in Vancouver, BC. He is also survived by sisters-in-law: Rose Albanese, Mena Lombardo, brother-in-law: Greg (Susan) Furfaro, all from Thunder Bay, and sister/ brother-in-law, Anne & Sam Fiorenza (Ottawa, ON). He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews in Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Italy.

He was predeceased by his parents, Carmela and Vincenzo Scali, brothers: Luigi (Angelina), Giuseppe and Nicodemo; sister, Angela (Giuseppe) Luca; mother-in-law/father in-law: Giuseppina & Francesco Furfaro and brothers-in-law: Domenic Lombardo, Nicodemo Albanese & Nicodemo Rinaldis. And his son's longtime companion: Allison Dawn Seuret.

Funeral Services for the late Salvatore Scali, will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 11:00AM in St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church (123 Hilldale Road) with Father Luigi Filippini officiating. Visitation for family and friends will be held one hour prior to the funeral mass, from 10:00 11:00 AM, at St. Anthony's Church. A private family interment will take place in St. Andrew's RC Cemetery, in the family mausoleum. For those unable to attend in person, the funeral mass will be livestreamed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7EogfjAols

In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests donations to be made in memory of Salvatore Scali to a charity of your choice.

On-line condolences and tributes may be made at: www.sargentandson.com

The family of Salvatore Scali would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff of Sargent & Son Funeral Home for their guidance & support with the funeral arrangements. Your kind, professional assistance was greatly appreciated.

A special thank you to Father Luigi Filippini for his comforting, spiritual guidance and for administering the last rites to Salvatore at the hospital. We also want to extend a very special thanks to his Family doctor, Dr. Edwin Webster, for his compassionate and empathetic care that he provided to Salvatore over the years, and his loving son, Dr. Jim Scali, who always supported him at home.

In addition, our heartfelt thanks to everyone from the Paramed health team for their compassionate care provided to Salvatore at home. Profound thanks to the ambulance personnel and the exceptional doctors and healthcare staff at Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, who took such special care of Salvatore in his final days. We are so grateful to each and everyone of you.

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all our family who honoured and respected Salvatore all of his life, and even in his final hours you were there for him and gathered around him before his passing at the hospital. You were all such a special part of his life.