Paul W. Savastano

Paul William Savastano, 71, of Vernon, CT, loving husband for 50 years to Kathy, passed away peacefully at home on July 6th, 2020 after a brave battle with ALS.  He was born February 5th, 1949, to Dorothy “Olive” and Laurence Savastano.

Paul grew up in Coventry, CT, graduated from Coventry High School, and enlisted in the US Army in 1969.  He served in Vietnam from 1970-1971. He worked for almost 50 years in auto body repair and could fix just about anything wrong with any car. He was a former President of the Vernon Girls Softball League and Director of the Vernon Soccer Association. He coached his daughters’ and grandchildren’s soccer, softball, and basketball teams for over 30 years. A beloved, kind, fair, and fun coach, referee, and umpire, known throughout town as Mr. S.; he coached dozens of teams and hundreds of players throughout the years. Paul was a member of the Ty-Rods Auto Club in Vernon for many years, most recently restoring a 1966 Mustang from a coupe to a fastback. He was also a member of Northern Connecticut Radio Control Club, building WWI giant scale model planes (his favorite was the Fokker DR1 triplane) and flying them in the early morning hours with his friend Bob at the “flying field”. He founded the Dawn Patrol Fly-In 27 years ago that still goes on today in Ellington. Paul volunteered at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in NY, where he built engine stands and a metal broadcasting tower for air shows and painted the wings from a full-scale WWI fighter plane used for fundraising. He was an ingenious problem solver, avid world war history buff, and loved being home in his workshop building planes or fixtures for Kathy’s garden. Out of all of his many hobbies, by far his favorite was living “the life” with his grandchildren. He loved watching and encouraging them on the soccer field, building sandboxes and treehouses, walking to the beach in Ogunquit, and engaging in any type of game or contest they could come up with. He was a one-of-a-kind husband, Dad, and Grandpa and will be missed beyond measure.

Along with his wife, Paul is survived by his daughters, Jennifer, Linda, and Kelly, sister Lauren Valecillo, several nieces and nephews, and the loves of his life, his 10 grandchildren: Jaden, Gavin, Sara, Katie, Anna, Greyson, Leah, Paige, Adam, and Zach.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ALS Association at http://webct.alsa.org. Family and friends are invited to calling hours at Manchester Funeral Home, 142 E. Center Street, Manchester, CT on Friday, July 10, 2020 from 10:00am to 12:00 noon, followed by a private burial. To leave a memory or message of condolence, please visit www.manchesterfh.com

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