Robert Scalzo passes at 92

Robert Joseph Bob Scalzo born May 20 1923 passed away on June 14 2015 after a brief illness. Bob was predeceased in 2005 by his beloved wife of 57 years Mary Celeste Alfieri Scalzo. He is survived by his loving partner Josephine Jody Root nine children: Kathy (Colin Leech-Porter) Celeste Mulrooney Susan Robert Paul Ann Spencer David Judy (Vel Kolde) Tracey (David Gans) eleven grandchildren and one great-grandson. Bob and Jody were together for the last seven years of Bobs long and full life.

The ninth and youngest child of Thomas and Florence Scalzo of Seattle and Mercer Island Bob graduated from Garfield High School in 1940. Thereafter the tall lanky right-handed pitcher was offered a professional baseball contract with the St. Louis Browns. With the approach of WWII and his parents urging to attend college Bob instead chose to attend Washington State University where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering.

Bobs college and baseball careers were interrupted by the war; he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and served time in the South Pacific with one of the original celebrated Seabees engineering units in Guam and the Bikini atoll.

Bob joined his father and brothers Joe and Vic in the family construction company the Thomas Scalzo Company. For more than half a century the company built a substantial portion of the expanding freeway system throughout western Washington and constructed major portions of the expanded airport facilities at Seattle Tacoma Airport and other airports throughout the state. Later he founded Robert J. Scalzo Inc. and with son Paul and Pauls company continued three generations of Scalzo construction companies.

Bob continued his baseball career as a pitcher with the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. Bob was active in the Associated General Contractors of Washington and served as president in 1983. He was a member of the executive committee and of the pension fund for the Teamsters Union. For several years Bob was an arbitrator in construction cases for the American Arbitration Assn (AAA). He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. Closest to Bobs heart has been his long-time active participation in the parents associations for the Rainier School in Buckley and the Fircrest School in Seattle where his son Robert has resided.

Funeral services will be held at St. Monicas Catholic Church Mercer Island on July 16 2015 at 11:00 A.M.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Rainier School - Hall #201B P.O. Box 600 Buckley WA  98321.

Published in The Seattle Times on July 12 2015.