Dante U. Savastano

Dante U. Savastano, 98, passed away Saturday, July 13, 2019 at St. Teresa Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Manchester, NH. He was born in Lawrence, MA on November 27, 1920 to the late Alberico and Assunta (DeLuca) Savastano.

A lifelong Lawrence resident, he graduated from Lawrence High School and served in the Army during WWII where he trained as a medic. Following his service, he worked in the family bakery and later went on to attend the North Bennet Street School in Boston studying jewelry making and watch repair. He sold and repaired jewelry most his life. Dante also graduated from the New England Institute of Mortuary Science and worked in area funeral homes. He ultimately retired from the Lawrence Housing Authority where he worked in maintenance.

Dante enjoyed extensive travel throughout Europe including Spain, England, France, Germany and several trips to Italy. He traveled by car through Central and South America. Sharing his adventurous spirit with his nephews, he took two camping trips in 1962 and 1969 in VW busses to Mexico, up through California and back. In 1970, he made another VW trip to Canada. All of his nieces and nephews would look forward to piling into a VW bus or station wagon for his yearly trips to Whalom Park, swimming at Forest Lake, and fishing in Gloucester.

A member of the Union of Italy Grand and Italian American Toilers clubs, Dante served as President of the Toilers club, which raised money to help area children through their annual Milk Fund Drive. He also loved to garden and many area people remember him helping them choose plants at the green house of a local farm, an activity he enjoyed up until his mid-nineties. Dante’s love of family culminated in his yearly Christmas displays in the parlor with a new theme each year.

Dante was the beloved brother of Connie Cunha and Olga Grossi. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Maureen (Driscoll) Savastano and many generations of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings, Charles and his wife, Emma (Diodati) Savastano, Harry and his wife, Carmela (Casale) Savastano, America Savastano, Guido (Jack) and his wife, Victoria (Franciosa) Savastano, Lucy and her husband, Lucien Charette, Edmund and his wife, Ursula (Sasso) Savastano, Roland (Ben) and his wife, Lillian (Chateauneuf) Savastano, Maria Savastano and Albert (Butch) Savastano; his nephews, Albert Savastano, Roland Savastano Jr., Richard Savastano; his nieces, Susan Savastano and Charlee Charette; and his brothers-in-law, Vasco Cunha and Philip Grossi.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend calling hours on Friday, July 19, 2019 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Cataudella Funeral Home, 126 Pleasant Valley Street in Methuen. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Corpus Christi Parish at Holy Rosary Church, 35 Essex Street in Lawrence. At the family’s request, all attending the funeral are asked to kindly meet at the church. Burial will take place in St. Mary-Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence.

Donations in Dante’s memory may be made to the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA) of the Pontifical Mission Societies, 66 Brooks Drive Braintree, MA 02184.