Richard S. Savino

Richard S. Savino of Parish Lane, Lake Katrine died Sunday, December 3, 2006. He was 60. He was born in Flushing, Queens on December 9, 1945, a son of Prudence Oliva Savino and the late Richard J. Savino. As a barber, he worked with his father in Queens. Richard moved to this area 40 years ago and, in 1968, started as a route driver for Freihofer Baking Co. From 1976 - 1983 he owned and operated the Eddyville Market. Richard then resumed working at Freihofer's until retirement in 1991. One son Richard Savino died August 24, 2006. Surviving, in addition to his mother of Rosendale, are three daughters Robin McDonald of Mt. Marion, Aimee Kouhoupt of Kingston and Cassandra Savino of Lake Katrine; two sisters Catherine Geiger Dittus of New Jersey and Prudence 'Trudy' O'Leary of High Falls; two grandchildren Jenna and Robert Francis McDonald; his former wife Kathleen Vining of Ruby, several nieces and nephews. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; A Tribute from Cassie: The Best Daddy Even though my parents got divorced, I can now look back on it with a bit of happiness, because I realized that it gave me the chance to know a wonderful man much better than I might have: My dad. And over the years, as my brother and sisters moved in and out of the house, got married or got lives of their own, and it became just him and I, we got the chance to become even closer. Daddy became not only my dad, but one of my best and closest friends. Daddy and I watched and looked forward to Saturday morning cartoons together, when I was growing up, and we would go to the mall together on Fridays. Daddy would let me take a day off of school once and a while, for mental health purposes, and we would bake these awesome cookies from cake mix, and just take it easy together. Daddy also has a great sense of humor. Daddy is the only person I know who finds the Animaniac’s NOEL parody as hilarious as I do, and would probably be the only person who knows what I’m talking about right now. Also, who else’s dad would “moo” behind a humorously overweight woman in the grocery store ever so slickly, so that she would turn around and think it was me? And whose dad would play Lazy Mary so loud I could hear it in my bedroom, and then come dancing up the stairs silly as can be, as a hint, that maybe it was time for me to finally get up? So many mornings growing up had me groggy as can be, doing everything in my power not to fall asleep in my cereal, and Daddy singing and dancing to the oldies. Most of you will probably not believe me on all of that, but, don’t get me wrong; I know that Daddy can also be a very serious and strong man. For example, armed only with that certain look of his, coupled with that thing he does with his eyebrows, he had all of the neighborhood boys scared out of their minds of him…Even today. Nobody messes with daddy and gets away with it...and no one messes with his children either for that matter. When my job was threatening me unfairly, all daddy did was come in and glare at my boss, and it was all over. With animals, no matter how misbehaved they were, he could just make this growling type of sound, and they would just stop in their tracks. Daddy could intimidate anybody…except of course, his grandkids. Anytime Daddy would try his old tricks with Jenna, she would just giggle, and then he would start to laugh, and that was it. Daddy could be a rock, but he was absolute mush for his grandkids, and it was wonderful to watch them together. Daddy is also very smart. He can do those Jumble things in the paper, that even with years of college behind me; I can still barely solve half of the darn thing. Daddy can also figure out how to save money in just about every aspect of life. Have an itch or cut or sore on your arm? Try some dollar store salve! Want filet mignon? Who needs it, when you can turn $1.99 a pound pork cutlets into the most delicious thing you’ve ever had? His love for savings will make me think of Daddy when I see a ShopRite commercial, or hear of the “Can Can”, and double coupon sales days. And I’m sure all of you must have noticed that whenever you have looked at pictures of daddy from say, 1995, he was wearing that same shirt when you saw him the other day! Daddy scrimped and saved, and it made us all laugh, but even though we gave him a hard time about it, we knew it was all for us. Daddy has given me everything I could ever want, but I would gladly give it all up, to have him back again. I would give up my car and walk to work, and hitch rides to school if it meant that Daddy could be there someday at my graduation, or to give me away at my wedding. Or for anything even as simple as making one more quick stop into my room before he heads off to bed to say,” Goodnight Pumpkin”, and kiss me on the forehead. I will miss Daddy forever. He is a good man who loved me and my sisters and my brother, (even seemingly equally, since he never did elude to which one might be the favorite, although we all know deep down that it was me…) But seriously, even though Daddy didn’t like to say it, we all knew he loved us, and that from the day he was born, until the last few minutes he was here with us, the strongest thing about Daddy, remained his big heart. I love you Daddy, thank you for everything. I will never stop missing you. Lake Katrine, NY