CMSgt Salvatore G. DiMatteo, USAF retired, was born October 10, 1939, and passed away May 27, 2025, in Colorado Springs. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nancy Pierce DiMatteo; his two daughters: Salena DiMatteo-Dobbs (Bill) and Laurie Sherman (Tom); four grandchildren: Nathan, Annamarie, Jonathan, and Andrew Dobbs; his sister, Frances Collins; brother, Phil DiMatteo; and many nieces and nephews who were all very special to him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Salvatore and Lucia DiMatteo, his brother Nick DiMatteo, and two sisters: Phyllis D’Alesandro and Libby DeLeo.
Sal will be remembered for his storytelling, teaching, and generosity.
Many of his most colorful stories centered on his early life growing up in New York City, describing his old neighborhood, his wild friends, and his love of cars. At one time he had a reputation as the street racer everyone wanted to beat until he took those driving skills to the track, racing stock cars on the quarter mile track at New York’s Polo Grounds. He started buying cars at a very young age, would fix them up, drive them, and then sell them. When watching the movie “American Graffiti,” he would name the year and model of every car on screen, usually following up with “I owned one of those once…and I never should have gotten rid of it!”
In 1961, he enlisted at the recruiting booth in Times Square and began his 27-year career in the US Air Force. He started out in Civil Engineering but spent most of his career teaching professional military education, helping to shape the enlisted leadership. No matter where he went in the world, former students would approach and thank him for the impact he made in their lives and careers.
His first assignment was at Shilling Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas, where he met Nancy, who was the administrative assistant for the squadron commander. Sal would maintain the commander’s vehicle and bring the keys to Nancy each day. Not only did he notice her, he also fell for her 1962 Buick convertible. She was equally attracted to his Chrysler Imperial convertible. Together, and eventually with their two children, they embraced the Air Force life, including assignments in New York, California, Germany, Colorado, and England.
Sal also served in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star. While traveling with the Air Force, the family took full advantage of the opportunity to see the world and travelled extensively. Their very first weekend in Germany, they drove to France for a picnic in the rain. Summers were spent on road trips through Europe or across the USA. They saw Pope John Paul II in Rome, wandered the casbah in Morocco, drove Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway pulling a camping trailer, and numerous other adventures or experiences.
After retiring in Colorado Springs, the family became avid supporters of the Air Force Academy, sponsoring cadets and becoming long time season ticket holders at Falcon football games. Sal became active with the cadet parents’ clubs and realized how many of the parents did not get to see the activities in which their sons and daughters were involved. He began videotaping events at the Academy and as more and more parents learned about his tapes, they would request that he attend certain activities to tape their kids, which he gladly did. Sal was incredibly talented and could fix almost anything mechanical. He landscaped and maintained a beautiful garden at their home in Colorado Springs and took on renovation projects at Nancy’s mother’s home in Kansas. He was also a wonderful cook and would make homemade pizza, tossing and spinning the dough in the air, for the girls’ childhood birthday parties. His meals shaped the family’s holiday traditions and that legacy continues with the next generation.
A memorial service will be held at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home in Salina, Kansas, on Friday, June 20, 2025. The family will receive visitors at 9:30 am and the service will begin at 10:00 followed immediately by burial with full military honors at Gypsum Hill Cemetery. Sal's family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate nurses who provided care and comfort in his final days.
Friends and loved ones are invited to share memories and condolences through the funeral home’s website, www.carlsonfh.net, or on the funeral home’s Facebook page.