Salvatore Pace was one of the kindest and most eclectic people God ever created. He lived in Ivoryton until 2011. He was born Nov. 28, 1938, in Stamford. He passed at home on March 13 in Pueblo, Colorado, where he had moved in retirement.

His father Thomas Pace was a first-generation American, whose father Salvatore Pace had emigrated from Potenza, Italy. His mother Margaret Hanus Pace emigrated from Valca, Slovakia. Pace was preceded in death by both parents, his sister Millie Camille, and longtime love Mary Way. Pace had nine children who were all raised in Connecticut: Stephen Pace, Lynn Pace Craig, Therin Pace, Gina Pace, Asa Pace, Trevor Hilliar of Essex, Heather Eagan Pace, Jonah Eagan Pace, and Sal Pace. He had 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Most of his offspring have dispersed across the country. He is also survived by his brother Thomas Pace of Bethel.

He lived most of his life in the lower Connecticut River Valley in homes in Westbrook, Essex, Chester, and Ivoryton. He was owner and president for three decades of Hilliar’s Foreign Motors in Ivoryton, where he built an eccentric home, studio, and woodshop upstairs. He was an accomplished luthier, carpenter, actor, playwright, director, songwriter, musician, sculptor, and artist. He enjoyed working on his wood Herreshoff sailboat and taking it out on Long Island Sound. During his retirement in Pueblo, he volunteered at the Pueblo Music House, a place for underprivileged youth to learn to play guitar for free.

The family is planning a ceremony in the Connecticut River Valley in late spring to spread his ashes into Long Island Sound in accordance with his wishes. Please contact his son Sal Pace for details sal_pace@hotmail.com. Instead of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in Salvatore’s name to support the Pueblo Music House: “OTR Foundation,” c/o 816 E. 5th, Pueblo, CO 81001.