Obituary: Salvatore R. Zimmitti, 47, of Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT - (From Biega Funeral Home) Salvatore R. Zimmitti, 47, of Middletown, died Sunday October 4, 2020 at Middlesex Hospital surrounded by his mom and siblings.

He was born May 5th 1973 (Cinco de Mayo) in Middletown, the son of Alfia “Effie” (Marino) Zimmitti and the late Carmelo E. Zimmitti. Sal was predeceased by grandparents Salvatore and Adelaide Zimmitti and Frank and Mary Marino; a devoted great-uncle Louis Mazzotta; and his Aunt Annette and Uncle Ronald Murphy.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his siblings Adele Rosa (Carmelo) of Higganum, Marian Carrillo (Oscar) of Middletown and Frank Zimmitti (Carrie) of Prospect; nieces and nephews Allegra Rosa, Carmelo Rosa III, Diego Carrillo, Mario Carrillo, Amalia Zimmitti and Matteo Zimmitti. Sal loved his first cousins and was adored by many aunts and uncles whom he held close to his heart.

Sal’s beautiful brown eyes and bright smile lit up a room, and his adoring giggle was a gift to all who knew him. Even though Sal had numerous obstacles to overcome because of his cerebral palsy, he was able to lead a full life in his multifamily home on Warwick Street with his parents, grandparents, uncle and three siblings.

Sal’s home life meant the world to him. He enjoyed an inviting home with large Sicilian family dinners and many friends and relatives visiting often. He loved all the Murphy celebrations in Mansfield CT and at the lake house.

He was a proud Yankees fan and attended both stadiums, as well as rival Fenway Park. Sal was a passionate sports fan and knew everything there was to know about sports!

As a young toddler, Sal attended the MARC program in Middletown and as he grew into a young boy, enjoyed the Newington Children’s Hospital school program.

The Newington Children’s Hospital took excellent care of Sal providing for all his special needs. This led to the Middletown Adult Special Education program located at Conard High School in West Hartford, from which Sal graduated in 1994.

As an adult, Sal spent his days at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) in Wallingford, CT. Some 10 years ago, upon the closing of UCP, Sal was welcomed into Cerebral Palsy of Westchester County’s Osterer Center for Discovery, also in Wallingford CT.

During these critical adult formative years, he developed a special lifetime friendship with his D.S.S. social worker Patty. With help from dedicated aides, Sal’s parents were able to take care of him at home his entire life until only last year.

In addition to his longtime caregiver Gloria, who gave consistent, nurturing care for eight years, Sal also found a treasured caregiver and friend in his most recent caregiver Renee. Renee treated Sal like a brother and never missed a single day of care.

Since the death of his father in 2016, Sal developed a friendship with his family resource worker Liz. He looked forward to Liz and her “friends” taking him on fun outings and just having a blast together! After Sal became ill, he transferred into long term care at Apple Rehab in Middletown.

The Funeral Liturgy will be held Saturday (Oct. 10th) at 11 a.m. at St. Sebastian Church, Middletown.

Burial will be in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield. Friends may call on Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to ‘The Salvatore R. Zimmitti Scholarship’ for a young cerebral palsy candidate, and mailed directly to Liberty Bank, 315 Main St, Middletown CT 06457.