Benjamin Salvione

Benjamin H. (Butch) Salvione, 73, of Huguenot, a retired plant superintendent who was known as a true gentleman who believed in honesty and moral values, died Monday in Staten Island University Hospital, Prince's Bay.

Born and raised in Port Richmond, he attended Port Richmond High School.

After he and Barbara Rose Gallagher wed, the couple lived in Charleston. They settled in Huguenot in 1966.

Mr. Salvione worked for 35 years in the maintenance department of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, Mount Loretto, Pleasant Plains. He was a dedicated employee, driving through the grounds every night to ensure that everything was in good order. He retired as plant superintendent in 2006.

His favorite time of year was Christmas, and for the holidays he decorated the maintenance shop with many mechanical figures and a large tree and, then invited the children from Mount Loretto's child care center and public school annex to see Santa's Workshop.

Mr. Salvione enjoyed seeing the smiles on the children's faces and was more delighted than they were, his family said. The Santa's Workshop sign hangs above the old shop door to this day, they added.

He enjoyed driving to his vacation home in Florida, often taking as much as a week to get because of frequent shopping stops for items for his Christmas display.

Mr. Salvione was a parishioner of Holy Child R.C. Church, Eltingville.

Surviving, along with Barbara, his wife of 50 years, are his son, Brian; his daughter, Barbara Larson; three sisters, Elizabeth Thorsen, Ellen Barron, and Joanne Nichols, and four grandchildren.

The funeral will be Friday from the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, Tottenville, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Holy Child Church. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Castleton Corners.

Services: Holy Child RC Church Friday, January 16, 2015 10:00AM

Visitation: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Wednesday, January 14, 2015 & Thursday, January 15, 2015 2-4 & 7-9PM

Cemetery: Fairview Cemetery

Location: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home

Church: Holy Child R.C. Church