Obituary of Salvatore Ruggeri

Salvatore Ruggeri, died on Monday, January 30, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and uncle who passed away peacefully just one day shy of his 88th birthday. Salvatore was born on January 31, 1935 to Giuseppe and Maria (Catanese) Ruggeri, in a small town in Sicily, named San Pier Niceto, Messina. As an infant, his heart stopped briefly. His mother, insisting he was still alive, carried him desperately to a nearby shrine and prayed until he was revived. As he began breathing, she named him Salvatore which means Savior. At the very young age of 17, he was sent off by his eldest brother alone to Venezuela. There, he eventually found work in the tobacco industry and later tended horses. He then spent a brief time in Canada with his sister and her family and in 1967, married Maria (Maimone) and moved to New Brunswick, NJ, US. He later settled in Edison, NJ until his death. In New Brunswick, he worked for a decade in a nickel chromium plating factory. In 1980, he started his own landscaping business. Salvatore's passions were music, gardening, and home improvement projects. As a landscaper, he found pleasure in beautifying his home and the homes of many. He spent his later years returning regularly to his hometown of San Pier Niceto, serenading the town with the clarinet he had since he was 14. If you knew him, you were sure to watch his YouTube videos over and over which he enthusiastically shared with everyone. https://youtube.com/@mariaesalvatoreruggeri6303 He is predeceased by his siblings Francesco, Natale, and Sebastiana, and survived by his brother Santo. He is survived by his wife and two children, Maria Caterina and Giuseppe along with his daughter-in-law Lisa and grandsons Salvatore and Anthony. His brother-in-law Giuseppe with companion Dina Catanese in Sicily, and in NJ are sisters-in-law Aldemara Maimone, Domenica Maimone, and Francesca Drulis with her husband Steven. He also leaves behind many dear cousins, nephews and nieces in the US, Canada, and Italy, whom he adored and kept in regular contact with. Salvatore was very devoted to his family and friends near and far. He will be greatly missed, but his tenderness and musical spirit will live on in our memories forever. (To enjoy his music, search for his YouTube channel "maria e salvatore ruggeri") Visitation Thursday, February 2, 2023, 4:00PM to 7:00PM at Selover Funeral Home, 555 Georges Road, North Brunswick. Funeral service will be on Friday, February 3, 2023, 9:15AM at Selover Funeral Home followed by a 10:00AM Mass at Saint Mary of Mount Virgin RC Church, New Brunswick. Entombment will be in Saint Peter's Cemetery, New Brunswick. In lieu of flowers, we ask that family and friends donate to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America