Through much of the latter half of the 20th century there were few people who had as big an impact on life in Haliburton County, or were as loved and respected locally, as Len Salvatori. The family patriarch died Aug. 2 aged 96.
Over the past week, those who knew him have shared heartfelt tributes and touching stories capturing his many contributions to the community.
Volunteerism was at the heart of everything he did, his family said. He served 41 years with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, was a trustee on the Haliburton County Board of Education for 35 years, spent more than 20 years assisting the Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association, where he helped at the fish hatchery, and was a board member with Haliburton Highlands Health Services for nine years.
“His life is one of the greatest stories in Haliburton,” said Gary Brohman, who was friends with Salvatori for 54 years.
The two connected in 1972, shortly after Brohman took a teaching job in the County. It was normal then for teachers to form relationships with board officials. While things were kept largely professional at first, they hit it off after Brohman started volunteering in minor hockey.
From that point, Brohman, then 27, said Salvatori was like a surrogate father to him.
“As a young man with two kids moving to a new area, I had a lot of questions. Whether it was asking him if I needed new tires, whether or not I should buy a boat, or if my roof needed replacing, Len always had the answer,” Brohman said. A memory wall on the Haliburton Community Funeral Home website is littered with similar testimonials. Mike Polonsky said Salvatori, his new neighbour, was one of the first people he met after buying a cottage. He was hosting people on his first night but his toilet wasn’t hooked up.
“I asked to use his phone to call a plumber. He asked what was wrong, so I told him. He grabbed his toolbox, saying ‘what do you need a plumber for?’” Polonsky said.
Salvatori lived his entire life in Haliburton County – he was born in Dysart on Nov. 6, 1929. He spent 43 years married to Betty Rae Bush, who died in 2001. Together, they have three children – Andy, Lisa and Laurie.
He spent 44 years working at Curry Motors, starting as a general labourer completing oil changes before becoming autobody shop manager and, later, co-owner.
In recognition of his community service, Salvatori was named Highlander of the Year in 1978 and Haliburton Citizen of the year in 1993. In 2017, the Haliburton Alternate Education was renamed in his honour and, in 2022, Salvatori was an inaugural inductee into the Haliburton Highlands Sports Hall of Fame.
Dysart et al mayor Walt McKechnie met Salvatori in the early 1970s. Through all the years he knew Len, McKechnie called him an “effective man for the community.”
The two socialized on occasion, with golf a shared love. McKechnie said they would play at the Pinestone regularly. According to local records, Salvatori shot a hole-in-one on the course in 2006.
Some of McKechnie’s best memories came on the 18th hole, he said.
“It’s a long drive to the hole and there’s a big pond – if you don’t drive it far enough, there’s a real chance you lose your ball to the water on the next shot,” McKechnie noted. “Len would always use one of his good balls for the drive, then put it in his pocket for his second shot and take out a scuffed-up ball he’d call his water ball.
“We used to tease him about that all the time, but he was adamant he didn’t want to risk losing his good ball,” the mayor added.
A celebration of life was held in Haliburton Aug. 11. The family asks that donations in Salvatori’s name be directed to the HHOA fish hatchery or HHHS’ Highland Wood long-term care home.
