Mario “Monte” Montecalvo, 92, of East Walpole passed away on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at Ellis Nursing Home where he has lived for the past 2 years.
Born and raised in Providence, RI, son of the late Carmela (Savella) and the late Giovanni Montecalvo, he and his young family moved to E. Walpole in 1948 after serving in the Army Air Force during WWII as an airplane mechanic stationed at Moody Field in Valdosta, GA.
For many years he worked as Warehouse Manager, then Salesman for the Eastern Drug Co. and traveled through-out eastern Mass. including Cape Cod selling sundries to Drug Stores.
Wanting to get back into mechanics, in 1965 he bought and operated Monte’s Esso on Main Street in Walpole. In 1968 while operating the garage he built and sponsored a NASCAR Late Model Stock Car at the former Norwood Arena Race Track on Rte. 1. His car with drivers, George Delmar and Paul Montecalvo was very successful and won a great many races at the Norwood track before it closed. They then continued to win at RI’s Seekonk Speedway, CT’s Thompson Speedway and Stafford Springs Race Tracks. They even ventured to the Martinsville, VA track a time or two.
In 1973 he and his wife Dot began spending their winters at their home in Ormond Beach, FL and their summers in Walpole and Plainville, MA.
For many years while living in Walpole he spent much of his spare time teaching numerous youngsters baseball as a Little League Manager, Treasurer and President of the Walpole Little League.
Besides his wife of 68 years, the late Dorothy (Motta) Montecalvo, he is survived by his children, Lois Fitzgerald of E. Walpole, Paul and his wife Patty of Ipswich, MA, and the late Jean Montecalvo. He has five grandchildren, Debbie Iddings of Norton, MA; Scott Fitzgerald of Wareham, MA; Ryan Montecalvo of Dover, NH; Jason Montecalvo of Denver, CO and Megan Montecalvo of South Boston, MA and 6 great grandchildren, Nicole & Rob Sullivan, Mckenna & James Fitzgerald and Tyler & Tucker Montecalvo.
He is the brother of Filomena Montecalvo of N. Providence, RI and the late Mary Monti, Joseph, John and Silvio Montecalvo all formally of N. Providence, RI.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 29 in St. Mary's Church in E. Wapole at 9:00 a.m.
Burial will be at a later date in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
Visiting hours will be on Friday from 4-7 p.m. in the Ginley Funeral Home, 892 Main St. in Walpole.
Donations in his memory may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 85 Astor Ave., Norwood, MA 02062.