Sally Ann Klucik

Naples – Sally Ann Klucik, 83, passed away on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at Physicians Regional Medical Center. She was the widow of Robert L. Klucik, Sr.

Sally was born on April 2, 1942, in North Collins, New York, daughter of the late Salvatore and Rosaria (Compise) Castiglia.

She is survived by her children, Laura Ruberto and her husband John of Naples and Robert L. Klucik, Jr. and his wife Laurie of Ave Maria; her brother, Julian Castiglia of Pennsylvania; seven grandchildren, Sr. Mary Consolota, O.P., Mary, Jesse, John Paul, Robert III, Joseph and Teresa; two step-granddaughters, Kathryn and Cristan; one spiritual granddaughter, Christelle; six great-grandchildren, Charlie, Teddy, Poppy, Laidie, Thérèse and Coco and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her cherished husband, she is predeceased by her dear brother, Peter Castiglia, and her beloved grandson Alex Klucik.

Sally's advice to everyone was, "All you need in life is faith and a sense of humor."

Though tiny in stature, just 4 foot 8 inches at last measurement, she was mighty in spirit.

Love was Sally's foundation. She said she had been surrounded by love from the moment she was born, and she wanted that for everyone and tried to spread it everywhere. Sally was close with all her cousins who lived in the same village of North Collins, New York, especially Franny, whom she loved like the sister she never had.

She liked to recall delivering groceries with her dad in the Model-T with her and her brother Peter in the back, picking up her brother Julian from the airport on his adoption day and his ice cream that promptly fell on the ground, being voted "Best Legs" in high school, strawberry picking, harmonizing with her dad, cooking at the family hot dog stand with her mom, working at the canning factory, and being the first in her family to graduate from college. Sally recently took pleasure in recounting many of her childhood memories in a book.

Bob was the love of her life. She met him in 1963 dancing at her sorority's Beach Week at Angola-on-the-Lake, and he told his mother - "I met the girl I'm going to marry." Sally liked remembering their exciting honeymoon to the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.

Travel marked her life. Following their marriage, they camped and RV-ed, starting from when their daughter Laura was just 10 weeks old, continuing in summers and resuming in their retirement as snowbirds in Georgia and Florida. When they lived in central Florida one favorite memory was feeding pelicans off their dock with her grandson Jesse. When her son Robb and his family were in Germany they went to visit - it was Sally's first time flying. She loved traveling throughout the USA as much as she did creating her home.

One of the young couple's pastimes was scouting beautiful western New York State to find barn-board and antiques for the massive rustic living room of their country house. Sally was a cheerful homemaker constantly refining and artfully rearranging rooms to fit her mood and the season. She called their place "Hummingbird Hill" due to the birds that fed from all the vibrant pink and purple hanging fuchsia plants on the front porch. If she wasn't in the house, she would be fishing for hours "up at the pond." One memorable family dinner was held on the hill behind the house between massive oak trees, an elegant picnic table feast with the "Sally touch." This would be re-echoed later with her candelabra tailgating parties with friends for Buffalo Bills' football games.

A gifted teacher, Sally taught for decades. She started out in special education and fondly remembered that her first school overlooked picturesque Lake Erie. Tutoring at home and subbing enabled her to be with her children until they entered school, and then she taught 4th and mostly 5th grade at Portville Central School.

Sally delighted in the fact that she was inspired to make an unlikely choice of a certain student to be editor of the class paper and that that woman later went on to have a career as a newspaper editor. This is one of many stories where she encouraged an underdog. In addition to teaching, she tended to the duties of the family's small farm including harvesting, canning, and sausage making. Sally also loved being a coach's wife and often hosted elaborate dinners and parties for the championship wrestling teams.

Her great love for her family continued through her whole life and was shown in all she did, including praying for everyone all the time. Moving to Florida in 2008 enabled Sally to attend her grandchildren's athletic and academic events and make her famous Sicilian bread, spaghetti sauce, and meatballs for them. If a social event conflicted with a family one she would say, we moved here for FAMILY. One of her great sorrows was the premature death of her beloved grandson Alex.

Another one of Sally's gifts was singing in her glorious soprano voice whether in the church choir or around the house or in her heart.

As her husband used to say, Sally never met a stranger. She noticed people around her and never failed to try to lift them up with a smile and kind word.

Mostly, she was a woman of great faith and inner joy. Sally suffered extreme physical pain nearly all her life but kept it mostly between her and God. She will be remembered by her family and countless wonderful friends for her constant smile, sense of humor, kindness, compassion, perseverance, and eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

A Mass of Christian burial will be on Monday, September 22, at 10:00 A.M. at Ave Maria Catholic Church 5088 Annunciation Circle in Ave Maria, Florida. A visitation will be held from 9:00 A.M. until start of Mass at the church. Inurnment will be private. Please send donations in lieu of flowers to:

"Alex Klucik Memorial Fund"

c/o The Ave Maria Foundation

P.O. Box 373

Ann Arbor, MI 48106