Salvadore Cardillo

Salvadore Cardillo, 84, of Rocky Hill, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2025.  He was survived by his children, Catherine Gagnon of Moodus and Steven Cardillo of Meriden. He was predeceased by his wife, Julia Cardillo, who he couldn’t wait to see again. He leaves his grandchildren Samantha (Walsh) Benton and spouse Lance of NC, Stephanie Walsh, and Matthew Walsh.  He leaves his brother, Carmine Cardillo; his sister, Rose Frisch and spouse Jim; his niece and nephews, Maria Cardillo, Jerry Cardillo and Paul Eastwood, Carmen Jr Cardillo and spouse Pam; and his sister-in-law, Lucrezia Cardillo. He was predeceased by his siblings Richard, Joe, Sandra, and Stevie.

Salvadore aka “Junior” was born in 1941 in Clinton, MA to Florence Domenica (Bianco) and Salvatore Cardillo.  He grew up in Clinton, Massachusetts, and enlisted in the air force in 1961-1965 after graduating from high school. He went to Texas for basic training and served four years as communication specialist, stationed in Topsham Maine. Every week, the Air Force would send one of its buses to Lewiston Maine for dances and bring ladies from the nurses’ dormitory, and that is where he met his sweetheart, Julia, eventually marrying June 1965. Mom shared stories of him being good at the “twist” which was a popular dance at that time. Sal then went to college at Auburn Maine School of Commerce where he obtained a business degree and Manchester School of New Hampshire for accounting.  Sal and Julie raised their family moving from Lewiston, Maine, Nashua, New Hampshire, Fort Myers, Florida, and eventually settling in Connecticut for the remainder of their lives.

Sal and Julia loved to eat out and travel and enjoyed multiple cruises, trips to Italy and Hawaii, and attempted to try every restaurant in New England. He knew mom’s cooking was superior to them all.  They enjoyed spending time at their lake cottage in Maine, yearly Newport timeshare, and not to forget all the trips back to his hometown of Clinton.