Obituary of Salvatore H. Elia

Salvatore H. Elia, 90, of Heritage Village Rehab & Skilled Nursing in Gerry, NY, formerly of Camp Street in Jamestown, by the grace of God peacefully joined our Lord and Savior in Heaven on February 12, 2021. Sal was born December 20, 1930 in Jamestown, the son of the late William and Anna Gagliano Elia. He was baptized and attended the former Italian Methodist Church in Jamestown until moving to Camp Street when he became a member of the Camp Street United Methodist Church. The friendships that he made at Camp Street UMC and in the neighborhood lasted through his adult life and were deeply cherished. He was very active at the church from the various positions that he held to Bible studies, and was always willing to lend a hand no matter the task or how old he was. Sal was a 1948 graduate of Jamestown High School and was extremely proud of his military service in the U.S. Army, serving from 1950 to 1954. He was stationed in Germany and he also went to the Army Medical Field Service School for X-Ray Procedures. After completing his military service, Sal became an X-Ray Tech at the former Jamestown General Hospital where he was employed until his retirement upon the hospital's closing. He was also very proud of paying for and attending night school at Jamestown Community College where he graduated with honors in 1976 with an Associate's in Arts Degree. He is survived by his wife, Rachel A. Wright Elia whom he married March 2, 1958 at Christ United Methodist Church; two sons: James R. (Lisa) Elia of Jamestown and Daniel S. (Kris) Elia of Fairport, NY; and three grandchildren: Marcus Elia and Megan Elia of Fairport, NY, and Ens. Matthew Elia of Norfolk, VA. In addition to his parents, William and Anna Elia, he was preceded in death by a sister, Frances Pollaro. Besides his faith, he was dedicated to his family. He took numerous camping trips with his wife and sons. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and attending their sporting events and activities. As a young man, he always made time to go rabbit hunting with his father, and later on with his own sons. Sal was also very well read. You could not find many pages of his Bible without underlined passages. He loved classical music and hymns and was a military history and airplane buff. His other passionate hobby was flying. He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol for many years achieving the rank of Captain. Sal also enjoyed playing church softball and was always willing to play catch, except when a plane flew over and he had to stop to identify it. Due to COVID restrictions, a private family service will be conducted and visitation will not be observed. Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery. A memorial service is planned at a later date to be announced. Sal's family would like to thank the staff at Heritage Village in Gerry for all of their care. Memorials may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Assoc., 135 Parkinson Plaza, Staten Island, NY 10305; or to Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions, 101 Rodeo Drive, Spring Creek, PA 16436.