Salvatore Festa

BURLINGTON- Salvatore Antonio Festa, of 2914 Amherst Ave., Burlington, NC, died on Sunday, March 30, 2015, at the age of 93, at the Hospice Home. He was born in Vineland, New Jersey on Nov. 23, 1921, to Mary T. and Anthony J. Festa. He graduated from Elon College and received his Masters of Education from UNC-G, and then served in the US Army Medical Corps during World War II. His career as an educator included Guilford County and the Burlington City Schools, where he was a teacher, principal, and then worked at the Central Office as the Director of Purchasing, and the Director of the Instructional Materials Center. The community was very important to him, and he belonged to many organizations and volunteered for many causes. The United Way, Alamance County Human Relations Council, Traffic Commission, Kiwanis, Special Olympics, the Red Cross, and the Boy Scouts of America, were all a large part of his life. As part of the Boy Scouts he was awarded the Silver Beaver and the St. George Emblem. Within the community, he was chosen as Volunteer of the Year, and Citizen of the Year. Sal was a long-time member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, where he served as a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, and as Sacristan. As a very proud member of the Knights of Columbus, he held many offices and positions. He was a Fourth Degree Knight and achieved the level of Grand Knight. He is survived by three daughters, Anita M. Davis and husband, Bill of Burlington, Donna Guffee and husband Pat of Oak Ridge, and Carmella Festa of Chapel Hill. Three grandchildren; Brenton McCraven and wife Shannon of Raleigh, Ingrid Murphy and husband Brian of Burlington and Martin McCraven of Burlington. Two great grandchildren: Grayson Murphy and Lizzie McCraven; brother, Anthony J. Festa, II and wife Dottie; sister in- law, Mary Festa, of Vineland New Jersey, and brother in-law, Dr. Gene Yarboro of Shelby, NC; God children; Teresa Lewis and Anthony Vailati. He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 60 years, Helen Y. Festa, an infant son, brothers, Alfred Festa and Angelo Festa of Vineland, NJ. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 11:00am Monday, April 13, 2015 with Fr. Briant Cullinane officiating. Special thanks from the family to caretakers Pat Caldwell, Dennis Hatfield, and Cortney Bright. We also wish to thank the many nurses and staff of Hospice of Alamance-Caswell , who were so caring in Dad's last hours In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hospice of Alamance-Caswell, or to Blessed Sacrament Church Building Fund.