Oreste Santoro, 93, beloved son, husband, father, and brother, passed away January 22, 2018 in Murray, Utah. Born November 24, 1924 to Vincenzo and Tommasina Caruso Santoro in Celico, Cosenza, Italy; he was the youngest of 13 children. At the age of 25, he moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he worked at Cadbury and was also a golf caddy. While in Canada, he wrote love letters to his future bride, Betty Scolari. They met for the first time the day they wed on November 12, 1953 in Montreal, Canada. After the wedding, they moved to Utah to begin their family.
Oreste began working at Sweet Candy Co. on September 20, 1956 and retired exactly 43 years later on September 20, 1999; he took extreme pride in his job and loved what he did as a foreman for the bridge mix. He loved to talk about anything Italian and would provide the best sauce recipes. He had a huge personality; he loved to joke and make people laugh and was very generous. He loved meeting people and asking his favorite question, "Are you Italian?" Oreste enjoyed singing and spending time with his family, especially his grandkids. In his final days, he sang, "Remember Me" to everyone.
Oreste is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty; daughter, Nichole (James) Stanbrough; 3 grandkids, Zxander, Oliver, and Chloe; and several nieces and nephews in Italy, Canada, Chicago, and New York. Preceded in death by his son, Ricci Vincent, parents, and 12 brothers and sisters.
Services will be held Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at the Larkin Sunset Gardens (1950 E Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, UT) at 11:00 a.m.; a visitation will be held prior to services from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Friends and family may also call Monday, January 29, 2018 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. with Rosary Service at 6:15 p.m. at the Larkin Sunset Gardens. Interment at the Murray City Cemetery. Online condolences, www.larkincares.com
