Anthony Vincent Salvato, Jr.

Anthony Vincent Salvato, Jr. – Vince – born September 20, 1945, passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, at home on March 16, 2026, at the age of 80. 

Vince was the oldest child of Anthony Vincent Salvato – Tony – and Carolyn (nee Blair) Salvato. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Sara, and Sunny, his wife of 58 years. He is survived by their children, son Tony (Chris), and daughter Amy; brother Joe (Diane), sister Marti (Dan Burns), nephew Zach, and grandchild Cole; as well as the social families he gained through shared life experience in teaching, antiquing, neighborhood community, caregiving, and more.

Vince was outgoing, service-minded, and a life-long teacher, both in and out of the classroom. He was quick to start up a conversation and made an impression on everyone he met.

Vince was born in Lexington, KY and lived in West Liberty, Morehead, Hazard, and Luisa, KY before moving with his family to Springdale, OH in the 6th grade. That year, he attended Springdale School where he met his new best friend, Rich Canter, and his future wife, Sunny Ferris. He and Sunny went on their first date at the 7th /8th grade dance. At Princeton High School, he played baseball, varsity football, and served on Student Council with Sunny.

After graduating in 1963, Vince attended Williams College in Massachusetts, studying history and developing a lifelong fondness of all things in New England, from furniture to architecture. In June 1967, shortly after graduation, Vince and Sunny married at the Sharonville Presbyterian Church in Sharonville, OH. Days later, they moved to upstate New York, where he worked at Lakemont Academy as a history teacher while Sunny worked for a time as the school nurse. After a short time, they returned to Ohio to rent an apartment in Mariemont, OH.

Vince taught at Glen Este middle school briefly, and in 1970 settled at Sycamore High School where he spent 26 years of his 30-year career, teaching history and forcing group projects onto wary students. He also coached Sycamore’s junior varsity cross- country for a time. Vince made many life-long friends at Sycamore, who would swap stories of their lives at monthly low-stakes poker games that continue to this day. At some point along the way, Vince earned a master's degree from Xavier University

The couple bought their first home in Forest Park, OH in 1971 and soon welcomed son Tony. Daughter Amy followed in 1974.

In 1977, they designed and built a home on Park Avenue in Springdale, OH that would be their family home for the next 27 years. It was a large home in the shape of an old- fashioned saltbox with yellow siding. Vince would later use this as the origin of the name of his antiques hobby/business/obsession, Yellow Saltbox Antiques.

Family vacations often centered around camping and visiting historical sites. Although he may disagree, there were few roadside historical markers or antique shops that were missed along the way.

When Tony and Amy left for college – Tony to Bradley University in Illinois in 1989 and Amy to the College of Wooster in northern Ohio in 1992, it ended what Vince liked to refer to his and Sunny’s “lost decades” of being consumed with the business of childrearing, work, and the stuff of daily life.

Vince retired from teaching in 1997 and soon began working with his friend, Dennis Friedman, doing commercial business inspections. Vince and Sunny often traveled together on inspection trips throughout the eastern and mid-western US, finding plenty of time to squeeze in sightseeing and, of course, some antiquing.

When grandchild Cole was born in 2001, Vince was delighted to become G’Pa and have a wonderful new playmate that would nap with him. As Cole grew, they spent many hours creating their own games, racing each other through the Harry Potter books, and watching movies. For the last decade they went to the movies regularly, often followed by a trip to White Castle. Vince always looked forward to his visits with Cole, although he was a little disappointed when Cole stopped taking naps.

Vince and Sunny downsized in 2004 to a condo in the Olde Gate community of Springdale, next door to his parents. His brother Joe and sister-in-law Diane eventually moved into the condo directly across the street, and the “Salvato Compound” was born, making holiday gatherings especially convenient with plenty of room for sisters Sara and Marti and family. Vince was active with the Olde Gate “Landscaping Committee” and loved walking the neighborhood chatting with neighbors, planning out community landscaping.

Vince and Sunny took several trips out west, usually straight to Tucson to visit their daughter Amy. In 2016, Vince, Sunny, brother Joe and his wife Diane embarked on “The Great Western Road Trip,” visiting friends, family, and sightseeing their way across the country. They also enjoyed a number of winter trips to Florida with Rich and his wife Marcia.

In 2020, as Sunny’s health began to decline, Vince became her full-time caregiver, a role that became more and more demanding as the years passed. He was determined to care for her at home where he felt she would get better care. He eventually hired the help of several home nursing aides, including Shenee and Shelby, and hospice nurse Regina, who gave him much needed respite a few times a week. The aides became like family to him. He liked to know how they and their families were doing, always kept M&Ms waiting, and sometimes had gifts for their children or grandchildren. His antiquing continued, albeit in a limited way, mainly through online purchases and a booth at the Ohio Valley Antique Mall that he would get to whenever he found time.

Sunny passed away at home on August 24, 2025. After a time, Vince refocused on his own health, began walking more, got active again in antiquing, reconnected with friends he hadn’t seen in a while, and began to plan trips. In December 2025, he and Tony took an Amtrak adventure to visit Amy in Tucson. He had plans to take another Amtrak trip to Washington D.C. with Cole in April 2026, and a Viking river cruise with Amy on the Rhine River in Europe in November. The day before his passing, he was proudly showing off the new roller bag he had purchased for the trips.

His passing has been difficult for those who knew him. He was immensely proud of his family. He was outgoing and took an interest in the people he met. He loved learning and couldn’t help wanting to teach others. He encouraged people to think critically and to engage in the world around them. Vince was a person who loved the journey, not just the destination.

As he would always write on the bottom of his students’ tests, “Enjoy!” And he did.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Ohio Living Village Hospice, The Scratching Post Cat Shelter, PBS, NPR, or a charity of your choice.

Visitation will be held at Vorhis & Ryan Funeral Home, 11365 Springfield Pk., Springdale, OH 45246 on Friday, April 17, 2026, from 4-7PM. Graveside service and burial will be private.