Salvatore “Sam” Dalessandro, 93, of Xenia, passed away Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. He was born on November 24,1932 to Nicola & Beatrice (Boyce) Dalessandro in Orrville, Ohio. He was one of four brothers- Thomas and Edward of Orrville, and Richard (deceased), married to Allene M. Bender on May 27, 1955 until her death in 1997, and to his second wife Jean Stiffler-Rosenfeld whom he married on Feb. 27, 1999, who passed on May 8, 2018. . Sam and Allene have four children: Catherine (John) Ransom, Barbara (Tim) Seiter, Sam (Donna) Dalessandro, and Jane (Bill) Wynn. Four grandchildren: Doug Pund, Nikki Bayless, Josh (Megan) Moore and Maria (Brandon) Corrales. Seven great-grandchildren: Erin Bayless and Emily Flint, Connor Pund and Carson Pund, and Charlotte Moore, Theodosia Moore, and Mickela Moore. A great-great-grandson, Jacob Brown. He graduated from Orrville High School in 1950, served in the United States Air Force from 1952-1956 in the Strategic Air Command Special Weapons. He worked for the Air Force and DLA from 1956- 1987 at Shelby AFD, Gentile AFD, DESC and Hdq. AFMC, WPAFB, Ohio. He was a member of a special-task group- the AFMAG at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. from February 1983 to October 1983 and retired as Deputy Director of Strategic Forces at WPAFB, Ohio in 1987. Sam was awarded the Department of Air Force Meritorious Civilian Award in 1987. After retirement, he worked as a consultant for LOGTEC and DSTI at WPAFB from 1988 until 1999. Sam was a faithful member of the Knights of Columbus for nearly 70 years. He served as Grand Knight of the Xenia Knights of Columbus and held many offices for Council 1801. He is a member of the 4th Degree Monsignor Buckley Assembly,and was District Deputy for four years. As an active member of St. Brigid Catholic Church. Sam was on the first Parish Council, president of the Parents Club, president of the Boosters Club and served on St. Brigid’s School Board. He was a member of the Wednesday Work Group, A St. Brigid Usher more than 65 years, a Eucharistic minister. He was bingo worker/caller/chairman for 30 years for St. Brigid Church and Council 1801 Knights of Columbus. He was inducted into the Greene County Veterans Hall of Fame in 2026. He was a member of the Xenia American Legion Post 95, where he served as financial officer, and was a recipient of the Green Fez from the Dayton Shriners. He was a member of the Sons of Italy Organization, where he was an avid Bocce Player. Besides playing Bocce, Sam enjoyed fishing, golfing, bird watching, and traveling. Sam and his wife, Jean, made their home in Florida from 2000-2009, then moved back to their home in Xenia to be closer to their families and friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am, Thursday, July 16, at St. Brigid Church, 312 Fairground Rd., Xenia. Visitation will be held from 9-10am Thursday, at Neeld Funeral Home, 1276 N. Detroit St., Xenia, with a Knights of Columbus service at 10am. Burial will be in St. Brigid Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St. Brigid Memorial Program, 258 Purcell Ave. Xenia, OH, 45385, or to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave. Dayton, OH, 45420, in his memory. Condolences may be made to the family at www.NeeldFuneralHome.com.