Visitation will be held 5:00pm-7:00pm with a Prayer Service starting at 7:00pm, Sunday, March 16, 2025, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Funeral Mass will be held 10:30am Monday, March 17, 2025, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
Salvatore Charles Rinella (Sal) peacefully passed away at home in Missouri Valley, Iowa at the age of 88 years, 1 month, and 25 days. Sal was born January 15, 1937, to Charles Angelo and Dorothy (Chiaramonte) Rinella in Chicago, Illinois.
Sal graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep and then earned a degree from University of Illinois College of Pharmacology.
He married Suzanne Martini on January 29, 1966, and to this union three children were born, sons Michael and Anthony, and daughter Catherine. After a marriage of 32 years, Suzanne passed away.
Sal was a pharmacist at Community Drug Store in Harvey, Illinois and then Dominick’s until his retirement.
Sal married Gerry Sue Siebert on May 23, 1998, and was blessed with five adult children, Daughter Michelle Mefferd, Julie Wild, Rebecca Baber, Kristin Leon, and son Jeffrey Siebert.
Sal was an active member of St. Patrick’s Church as well as The Knights of Columbus. Until his illness, he assisted with many of the Lenten fish fries and chicken dinners.
Volunteerism was always a huge part of Sal’s life. He was on call 24/7 for The American Red Cross for more than 30 years as a Disaster Response Volunteer for many, many home fires, tornadoes, and flood disasters. He was instrumental in getting the Rand Center provided with supplies and cots as disaster prep and supervised and staffed ARC shelters for a number of weeks for each of the last two floods affecting Harrison County residents. Sal also served two tours with the Red Cross in New York following the horrific 911 Disaster and also served following the Katrina hurricane. Sal was a co-treasurer for the Community Memorial Auxiliary for many years and also assisted at the County Fair. Sal was instrumental in encouraging MV residents to save Family Fare labels in enough quantity to earn three wheelchairs for those in need. A second campaign with the assistance of the KC and Ministerial Association and all area churches necessitated collecting and counting $150,000 in Family Fare grocery receipts donated by MV local residents which earned another special needs wheelchair donation. Sal also decided that Missouri Valley needed a nativity set and spearheaded a fundraiser by again recruiting the assistance of the Ministerial Association and his dream came to fruition, thus the Nativity has been on display each Christmas in MV for a number of years now.
Sal was preceded in death by his first wife Suzanne, his parents, brothers-in-law John Martinez, Larry Kirby, and Dennis Axtell, and grandson Justin Schuette.
Sal is survived by wife, Gerry Sue Rinella, sons Michael and Anthony Rinella, daughter Catherine (Bruce) Wertelka, son Jeffrey (Stephanie) Siebert, daughters Michelle (Gary) Mefferd, Julie (Steve) Wild, Rebecca (Doane) Baber, Kristin (Martin) Leon, fifteen grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
2 Comments
My most heartfelt condolences to Sal’s family and friends. Sal was a sweetheart of a cousin, a gentleman and sensitive altruistic man, the kind of man the world needs more of!
Hugs to all
Michael
I met Sal many years ago in Harvey IL. We were members of the Harvey Citizen patrol. We patrolled the streets calling in suspicious activity to the police. We also did traffic control for the police on auto accidents. Floods and for the fire department during fires. Sal was a very caring man. He was with the red cross back then too. I’m honored to have known Sal. My deepest condolences to his family and red cross family and friends. Rest in peace Sal. Your work here in earth is done. I know you and my father in law Butch Mourer have a lot of catching up to do. Till we all meet again, rest in peace Sal.
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