Obituary of Robert V Salvato

Robert V. Salvato, a retired tractor trailer truck driver, passed away after a lengthy illness at Winchester Hospital on Monday morning, February 3, 2020. Bob was 69 years old. He was born in Malden and was the second of two sons born to Stella and Salvatore Salvato. At the age of 5 his family moved from Everett to Burlington. He grew up and was educated in Burlington. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 19 to serve his country during the Vietnam War. He served as a member of the 7th Maintenance Battalion as a Specialist 4th Class. He was trained in vehicle maintenance and spent half of his service time stationed in Germany. He was discharged after 2 years with the Good Conduct medal, M 16 Marksman Ribbon, and National Defense Service Medal. His training in the military would start his career path in trucking. He worked for several trucking companies before being hired by Crystal Motors. He was a tractor trailer driver with a route that covered all of New England. He enjoyed the solemnity of being in his rig, on the road, and watching the mile markers pass by. He wasn’t afraid of the long hours and always took whatever overtime was offered so that his wife and children would have the things they needed. He retired after almost 30 years with the company. Bob was a quiet man, who never wanted to be the center of attention, rather in the background supporting his friends and family. He enjoyed working around his yard, walking around town, watching pro wrestling, following the Mecum Car Auctions, and seeing his family happy. During family cookouts, he was always seen manning the grill and helping with the food. He always looked forward to decorating the house for Christmas. He took great pleasure in seeing the joy in his grandchildren’s eyes. He was greatly devoted to his mother and always made sure she was safe and well cared for. He was not a very excitable person, except when it came to his motorcycle. He had a 1985 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic that was his prized possession. He often rode it with his brothers-in-law and would take day and weekend trips all around the Northeast section of the country. When his health prevented him from riding anymore, he made sure his motorcycle had a good home with his son-in-law Michael. Bob didn’t need great adventures or trips to be happy. Instead, just seeing that his family was happy and well taken care of gave his life a purpose and a great sense of satisfaction and meaning. Bob was the beloved husband of Lorraine (Vigneau) Salvato for 46 years. He was the loving father of Rachel Salvato & her husband Michael Aldred of Westford, Robert V. Salvato, Jr. & his wife Helaina of Livermore Falls, ME, and Rebecca Salvato & her fiancé David Gilbert of Ashburn, VA. He was the devoted son of Stella Salvato and the late Salvatore Salvato of Burlington. He was the brother of Edward Salvato & his wife Dorothy of Burlington. He was the proud grandfather of Brianna Salvato, Mason, Caden, Raine, & Nolan Aldred, and Aden Sims. He was also the brother-in-law of Al & Mildred, David & Nancy, Thomas & Donna, James & Maria, and Christopher & Maureen Vigneau, Karen & James Callahan, James Dudley & the late Diane Dudley, the late Nancy Vigneau-McAdoo & John (Spanky) McAdoo. A visitation will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington, (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to Noon. Funeral Services will begin at the funeral home at Noon and will conclude with a burial in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 or www.support.woundedwarriorproject.org. For directions obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net