Individual Details

Birth

Sam was born in 1923, and his birthdate, 7/11, must have made him feel extremely lucky, because he was up till the very end, a gambler and a risk taker. He always felt that no matter how bad things got, there was always a chance that some good fortune could come along and straighten everything out. This led him into some very sticky situations, but it also allowed him to experience things that those who “play it safe” never get to experience.Consider, for instance, the story of Herbert Hyatt. Once, inhis early 20’s, while searching for good times with a couple of friends, he hit the mother lode, a colossal jackpot that represented the most money he  ever had up to that time. He took all his friends on a 2 day vacation, and went into a restaurant where a man named Herbert Hyatt waited on them. My dad was so pleased with the service that he tipped Herbert $100, which, even by today’s standards is very unusual but back then was an astronomical sum. They went back to the same restaurant the next day and my dad again tipped Herbert another $100, and told him they were leaving town that afternoon.Herbert, staring down at the second hundred dollar bill,said, “Mr. Sam, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know where you’re going, but please, take me with you.”

Baptism

Sam Leo Catanzaro was baptized on 15 July 1923 by the Rev. George J. Stier at St Philomena Church, 1921 N. Kedvale Ave. Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United StatesSponsors: Anthony Catanzaro and Virginia Filichia Ordered the baptismal records today August 5 2014

Military

When it came time to serve his country, Sam joined the army.He scored so high on an intelligence test that he was shipped to Pasadena, tothe current site of Pasadena City College, for officer training.But, having a military career as an officer must not haveappealed to young Sam that much. When he found out that Harry James was performing and broadcasting nightly from Hollywood, he made a practice ofjumping the fence and hitching a ride down to the Hollywood Palladium. But, his luck ran out one night when the mp’s caught him. Evidently, the army brass didn’t share his enthusiasm for jazz trumpet, and he was immediately kicked out of the officer program, shipped off to basic training, and bound for the Rhineland.There he participated in the greatest conflict of the 20thcentury, or, as he would always refer to it, “the big one.” He described the war as an interminable stretch of “hurry up and wait.” Much of his time was spent playing center field in intramural pickup games, sometimes with big leaguers. One time, dad was in center field when a legit big league slugger came to the plate. Despite taking his position in the deepest part of the outfield, the man managed to hit a ball that Dad said was still rising as it crossed over his head, the longest ball he had ever seen.Oh yes, there was some fighting and some action, too. Daddescribed seeing aerial dogfights while marching, saying they were the most fearsome things he had ever witnessed. On April 13, 1945, near the Elbe river,a group of Nazis ambushed dad’s unit, and dad, in the words of the army,“fearlessly exposed himself to intense hostile fire and administered first aidto a comrade who had been seriously wounded, and through his skillful and unselfish actions saved his life. For this heroic achievement and unflinching to devotion to duty,” he was awarded with the Bronze Star.At the end of the war, he was among those troops who liberated the notorious concentration camp at Dachau, holding Nazi soldiers at gunpoint while they finished burying the last of their victims. The smell, he said, was unlike anything he had ever experienced and was probably one of the main reasons that, up until the latter part of his life, he rarely mentioned the war at all. When the movie “Saving Private Ryan” came out, I asked dad if he wanted to go see it. “Boy” he said, “Why should I go see it, I was there.”  But, when the Army warned vets not to see it because it might bring back traumatic memories, he was first in line at the theater the next day. When I asked him what he thought of the movie, he said,“Good, but we never cussed that much.”He spent the remaining months in Europe ordering around his valet, a big German soldier named Gunther, before it was time to ship backhome.  Of the war, dad said, “I hated every minute of it, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

Occupation

Once back in Chicago, he joined with his dad and brother who had opened a saloon, capitalizing on the celebratory mood of the country. After a couple of good years when the whole city of Chicago was having a party every night,business started to slow.  As dad explained it, everybody just decided that it was time to stop the party and get to work.  Dad tired of the saloon life and he determined to, in his words, marry the first good woman that he met. Enter mom, Lily T. Warner.

Occupation

Dad followed his father, Sam Senior, into the produce business, working for Robert L Berner, making $100 per weekMom was working for the phone company making $125 a week. When dad got back from his honeymoon, and his boss found out that his new wife was out-earning him by $25 a week, he said “We can’t have that” and raised dad to $200. Dad must have felt with mom on his team, he was on another lucky streak.

Occupation

Sam, like his father Sam Sr. worked most of his life in the produce business in Chicago.Sam Jr., affiliated with the Tony Manzo Co., and The LaMantia Bros Arrigo Co. before entering World War II.Upon discharge, Sam went to work for The Harold “RED” Isaacson Company at 2840 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, Il.. Sam left Red to open up the Sam Catanzaro Co.Sam moved the family to Scottsdale /Paradise Valley in Arizona in 1971 and opened Vista Sales, Sam then moved to Yuma Arizona in 1975, and then he retired to Sun City in 1995 ending a family produce connection that spanned over 100 years.In 1999, at age 76, Sam founded yet another company, Elements Music, a music education company which provided after school keyboard lessons for elementary students throughout the valley. The company became the largest private music educator in the southwest, and Sam unselfishly poured all of his resources into the cause of valley area music education.

Occupation

Dad was not the type of guy to work a 9 to 5. When heapplied to one job, the man interviewing him said “Sorry Sam, the only job here for you is mine, so you can’t work here.” He eventually started his own brokerage company, called, fittingly enough, the Sam Catanzaro Company. That company later became Vista Sales, and the family moved from Chicago to Phoenix in 1971

Death

Samuel L. Catanzaro: Born July 11th, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois. Formerly of Bellwood, and Glen Ellyn, passed away October, 20th 2008 in Sun City Arizona. He was surrounded by his Wife, Lilly T. (nee: Warner) of 60 years who decided to join her Husband early October 21st, 2008, Lilly was born in Chicago December 26th, 1927. Daughter Nancy Roberts of Phoenix, Sons: Sam of Phoenix, Jim (wife Brenda) of Fort Wayne, IN, Joe (wife Terre) of Yuma, AZ & Steve of Phoenix , AZ. Also surviving are Grandson’s Michael (daughter in law: Deena) and Tanner. Granddaughter Karla Catanzaro. Great Grandchildren: Cedric and Devin.Also surviving are his Brothers Thomas of San Diego, California and George (wife Suzie) of Harlingen, Texas, Sister Virginia of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Brother in Law Bob Anderson of Oregon, and several nephews and nieces.Sam was preceded in Death by his Parents, Sam and Mary, Brother John, and Grandson Sammy Roberts.Their love for each other was so strong for the past 60 years that they would not be separated for any length of time, even in deathPlace of birth: Chicago, IllinoisPlace of death: Sun City Arizona

Miscellaneous

We have been struck, this week, by the remarkable fact that two people lived together for 60 years of marriage, and the bond between them was so strong that they couldn’t be apart, even for one day. I have heard various descriptions used. One person said “How romantic.” But let us be straight about it. It is quite possible that these two people were the most classically mismatched pair in history.One’s idea of a great day was being able to play blackjack for 6 hours and break even. The other’s idea of a great day was going to 3 church rummage sales and picking up 5 dresses for under 3 dollars.One thought Frank Sinatra was the greatest artist in American history, another thought Frank Sinatra was a bum who should be banned from the radio dial. One was always too hot, one was always too cold. One liked to leave big tips, one liked to cut coupons. In other words, in many ways, they were the complete opposite of one another. So let us dismiss the notion that staying married for 60 years was easy for them.They stayed together because it is what the church taught them, and because they believed it was the right thing to do. It was not easy.If it was easy, it wouldn’t be love.I remember one time dad was being interviewed by a lady writing an article for the newspaper. “Who makes the decisions in your family”the reporter asked. Dad said, “She makes most of the decisions, but I make the big ones.”So it was. They would fuss and fight about little things, but on the big things, they were always in complete agreement. One thing they both agreed on was moving west. Like a lot of people who visit from Chicago,they both loved Arizona and moved here in 1971. Another decision they agreed on was sending the kids to private Catholic schools instead of public schools. A couple who puts 5 children through Catholic schools is a couple that wants the best for their children, no matter the cost.We stayed in Phoenix, on 56th Street and Shea which was, at that time, the eastern most border of town, and after a while, we moved down to Yuma in ’77.  As the rest of the kids were getting older, it was often just the three of us, Mom, Dad,and Steve.Eventually, Mom and Dad decided  to move to Sun City in 1991, another thing they were both in perfect agreement on, One thing I remember mom saying was, Oh, they’ve got golf courses everywhere and they have this tremendous restaurant called Mercers. So, my first night in Sun City we all went to Mercers. Our dinner was interrupted when a homeless guy came in the place and started yelling at everyone until Mr. Mercer had him kicked out.Mom didn’t really care much for Mercers after that, but Dad was there every morning. That was how he was with a restaurant. He would go to the same restaurant day after day. I said, Dad, why do you do that? With all the different restaurants in the world, why do you keep going back to the same one? His answer? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”Mom preferred Furrs cafeteria. Dad hated to go to a place with no waiter, but the thought of all you can eat for one price really appealed to mom. Every Sunday, I would watch a lady who never weighed more than 112 pounds load up on soup, jello, chicken and dumplings, sweet potatoes, carrot soufflé, and for dessert, a piece of pie, an ice cream sundae, and a brownie with chocolate sauce, and to wash it all down, a giant root beer float.To justify it, she would say, “Well, I won’t eat again all day.” Mom was always looking for bargains.But, as Steve started studying different Christian denominations, he noticed that mom was still a believer in God, and in Christ. She just didn’t attend mass anymore. And when Steve was trying out various services, Dad would come along with him to check them out.Well, one day, mom told Steve that she heard through the grapevine that there was a priest in town who still offered the traditional Latin mass. She told him to look him up and see if he could find out where he was.So, Steve grabbed the phone book, and there, with a pretty big ad, was “Our Lady of the Sun International Shrine” not too far from home. They went the next Sunday.As far as Steve can remember, it was his first time ever attending a Latin mass, Nancy, Sam, Jim, and Joe all attended Latin Masses before. Sam and Jim were Altar Boys. I don’t know if they went to confession that first week, or the second one, but mom went to Father LeBlanc and dad went to Father O’Conner.Steve asked dad how his confession went. He said, I told Father O’Conner I hadn’t been to mass in 20 years. Father O’Conner said, I don’t blame you. From that day on, we started attending Our Lady of the Sun regularly, and dad and mom both came to realize that they hadn’t left the church so much as the church had left them.Now, anyone who knew dad knew of all the people on earth he disliked and distrusted, the French were at the top of the list, on account of the fact that when they were marching through France after liberating it, the French people through rocks at them. So, this was the irony of dad’s life, that he would recover his faith through the hands of a French Canadian priest with a heavy accent.But mom loved Father LeBlanc, and dad couldn’t help but respect him. A real old time priest, they would say, not one of those sandal wearing, guitar strumming type of priests that were unheard of when we left Chicago but, were all over the place in Phoenix.Anyway, Father LeBlanc passed, and Father Andrade took over. Mom always liked Father Andrade even before he took over for Father LeBlanc. On one of the first weeks Father Andrade was here, mom went up to Mrs. Andrade and said “What a son you’ve got. Now, I’ve got kids, but not like this one.” Mom and dad were always in Father’s corner. They wanted this priest to be the one to give them the sacraments, the last rights, and they wanted to have their funeral in this church. “If Father leaves” dad asked, “Who will take care of us? Who will bury us?” And they prayed for him all the time, and mom said she always offered up her sufferings for Father Andrade. And, what seemed like it would be impossible back in the early part of 2008 has in fact happened, and  here we are, just like they wanted, so we see now that their prayers were answered.Dad never wanted to give up fighting. And why should he? When, over 10 years ago, the doctor said he needed triple bypass surgery because his main artery was over 90 percent clogged, he declined, saying he would take his chances. When he went in for a checkup a few months later, they found out that he had developed a whole bunch of collateral arteries for blood flow. “Sometimes” dad said, “the heart can surprise you.”So he kept fighting on, through an endless stream of bad medical reports. Last Sunday in the hospital, they asked him “Where would you like to die, here in the hospital, at home, or at a hospice.” Dad’s answer? None of the above.”But, eventually even dad realized that his luck had run out for the final time. Dad was in the hospital and Mom was in a Hospice, care facilities miles apart.Jim and Joe, went to see Mom at the Hospice she was in, and she wanted out. With some talking to the Hospice closer to their home., Jim got Mom moved to that Hospice and Dad was transferred to their that Sunday evening. Originally Mom Mentioned to Jim, I do not want to be in the same room with Him ( her husband).Jim asked, why not? Mom said, because I will disturb him. I take my medicine at different times, Doctors see me at different times. Jim assured her that Dad would not mind. When they saw each other, Mom asked dad how he was doing. “Oh” he said, “sometimes I get confused and I can’t remember things.” She said, “Yeah, that happens to me too.” He said, “I guess that’s what comes with old age.” They had faced the unknown together so many times over 60 years, and now they were facing the unknown together one last time. Now,by this stage in her life, mom would ask about 15 times an hour “what time is it?” and she would always be surprised by the answer, even if it was only 5 minutes later than the previous time she asked. And, she would do that all night long, which would keep dad up.So, we thought, should we move dad to a different room so he could get some sleep? “No” he said, “I don’t mind. She doesn’t bother me.” And every time dad would cough or make a sound, mom would yell out from her bed,“Check your father. Get him some water. Make sure he’s ok.”At about 9:30 in the morning, dad, after having said his final confession and having received the last rites, seized up, and by the time the doctor had come in the room a few seconds later he was already gone. In the next bed, Mom, often confused and disoriented these last months, knew exactly what had happened.“Don’t cry” she said, “See, I’m not crying", said Steve. See how fast he went, see how lucky we are” she said. From that moment on, Mom was very quiet in her bed. Father Andrade came, heard her confession, anointed her, and gave her communion and a little sip of water to wash it down. That was the last food she ever tasted. She never had a meal or took a drink after dad died. In the afternoon, after Father left, she said to Steve, “Can you believe how fast I’m going down?”Late that night, her breathing was extremely strained, and even though it was a tremendous effort, the last thing she did on her death bed was pray her rosary out loud. When she finished, she called for Nancy to say good bye one more time, and to thank her for all her help, and then, her breathing all of a sudden got much calmer, and slower, and within a minute, she had taken her last breath. She had held on all those months just to make sure that her husband was taken care of, and with him gone, she said her prayers, said goodbye, and left.