Salvatore Joseph Tocco Jr.

TOCCO Salvatore Joseph Tocco, Jr., age 96, of Fairfield, formerly of Brooklyn, N.Y., beloved husband of Mildred Malvasi Tocco, passed away on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at Bridgeport Hospital with his family by his side. Sal was a devout Catholic, devoted family man and an amazing role model. A true every man hero, he fought with the U.S. 3rd Army's storied 4th Armored Division in World War II, from Omaha Beach through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Czechoslovakia; helped liberate a Nazi concentration camp; and earned the Bronze Star for Valor by saving a fellow serviceman's life while under direct fire from German 88mm guns. Sal was a skilled mechanic and electrician, having earned certificates at the The Armored Force School, RCA Institutes, and the Delehanty Institute, and he worked for years at the Joe Lowe Company, a New York confectioner. He could fix almost any broken electronics item, or else turn its parts into something even cooler (like a toy motor) for his awe-struck grandchildren. Sal loved the ocean and spent long summer days on the beach in the Hamptons and later in Connecticut. He took pride in owning a well-maintained American car, which he used to drive Mildred to outdoor concerts at the Fairfield Town Green. An avid hobbyist, Sal could spend hours at a time working through puzzle books on his sun porch or toiling away at his extensive workbench on hand-crafted model boats and planes, beer can furniture, and popsicle stick lampshades. He enjoyed card games, a Manhattan on the rocks, a hearty meal, and a good conversation. He truly loved people, and would greet anyone with a big smile, a firm hand shake, and an eager ear. Above all else, he valued family, and he anticipated family gatherings and the holidays as his favorite times of the year. He is truly irreplaceable and was cherished by his family and will be deeply missed by his devoted wife, of 61 years, Mildred, a daughter, Janet Tuccillo, and her husband, Ronald, of Fairfield; a daughter, Susan Caiazzo, and her husband, Robert, of Danbury; grandsons, Vincent, Alex, and Bryan Caiazzo, of Danbury; grandson Matthew Tuccillo, and his wife, Veronica, and their daughter (Sal's great-granddaughter), Alessandra. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 9:15 a.m. in The Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, in Fairfield Center and 10 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, Fairfield. Entombment will follow with full military honors in Oak Lawn Cemetery Mausoleum. Friends may greet the family on Tuesday, July 1, 2008, from 4 to 8 p.m. For further information, please visit, www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com.