Salvatore A. “Sal” Casale “Chief Casale”

Salvatore A. “Sal” Casale “Chief Casale”, 84, of Williamsport died Friday, September 13, 2024 at his home. Surviving is his wife of 65 years, Diana M. (Lusk) Casale.

Born June 10, 1940, in Williamsport, he was a son of the late Nicholas D. and Margaret (Pedro) Casale.

Above all, Sal’s first priority was his faith in God, a guiding light that shone through every aspect of his life. His second priority was his beloved family, with whom he shared the deepest bonds of love and affection. Sal’s wife of 65 years stood by his side as a pillar of support, and together they raised four children Victoria A. “Vicki” Mohney (Michael) of Williamsport, Gwendolyn J. “Gwen” Wilton (Donald) of Salladasburg, Karen M. Casale of Williamsport and Nicholas A. Casale of Cogan Station; nine grandchildren Andrea, Shelby, Donald, Cheyenne, Zachary, Joshua, Eric, Matthew, and Margaret; five great grandchildren Nikolai, Konrad, Macy, Taeyang, and Paulie; and a sister Priscilla Dibble of Williamsport. The legacy of Sal’s love and teachings will undoubtedly live on through the generations.

Sal was a 1958 graduate of the Williamsport Area High School. He served in the National Guard during peacetime in Company K, 109th infantry division in Williamsport and received an honorable discharge. Sal’s third priority was his community, where he was not only a protector but also a friend. Sal followed his dream of becoming a police officer and was a 1974 graduate of the PA Police Academy. He approached his role as a police officer not just as a job but as a calling to make a difference in the lives of others. His involvement with various associations and community initiatives reflected his unwavering commitment to the place he called home. Throughout his career he was so proud of his officers and they remained his precious friends until his death.

Chief Casale had a rich volunteer history in Old Lycoming Township. He began his police career in 1969 and purchased his needed equipment with his own money. He worked for a part-time wage of several dollars an hour and donated at least an hour for every hour he was compensated by Old Lycoming Township.

As a visionary, Chief Casale knew that public safety and police protection would be very much needed in Old Lycoming Township in the decades of the 1980’s and 1990’s and beyond.

The police department worked out of the township building’s boiler room (a room 10′ x 10′) and the Chief began his search for a larger building. On his own time, he was able to acquire a mobile home – one that had been used for 1972 Agnes flood refugees before the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development donated the mobile home to the township for its first police station. The Chief and his officers and other volunteers donated every hour needed to remodel the entire building.

Always having great interest in our youth, Chief Casale organized and volunteered his time to establish the first youth club that was supervised by police staff. He worked tirelessly again to acquire yet another mobile home trailer that had games, pinball machines, soda machines, tables, and televisions to keep our youth busy and out of trouble. These youth groups took bus trips to amusement parks and other field trips on weekends with the Chief and other police officers donating their time to even drive the buses.

Chief Casale did not stop with the youth group. There were juveniles that did not get into trouble with the law. Chief Casale established the first police department probation program whereby the troubled youth were not arrested but placed on community service in Old Lycoming Township to work off their “debt” to society. This was some 25 years ago and this program still exists with the approval of the Lycoming County court system. The evening meetings with parents and working with our youth were done as volunteer hours by the Chief.

Chief Casale did not stop there. He knew how other communities had parties for their children and he became very creative. He established the first Easter egg hunt for our kids with Easter bunny, our fire department and lots of candy that required lots of coordination and work. You see he got the candy donated and spent his Saturdays at no cost to Old Lycoming Township making sure our kids had a fun Easter.

Chief Casale organized the first Halloween parties at the Old Lycoming Fire Company and again spent many hours donating time to make sure our kids had fun.

Chief Casale organized the township’s first Christmas parties complete with goodies for our kids and Santa. He also pulled strings and had Santa flown in by state police helicopter or by fire truck if needed.

Chief Casale spent many nights and literally hundreds of hours counseling our troubled youth. Including midnight shift emergency calls to come in to work at no cost for his services to the township.

Whenever the Chief came across a family in the township that was facing hard times, he again worked tirelessly to get donated food or even appliances and beds to sleep on. He even had, on more than one occasion, given his own money to persons in need. Much of this work does not stop at 4 p.m. Like many factory jobs, much of it goes well into the night. The Chief had missed many suppers at home with his dedication to the residents of Old Lycoming Township, and many of these hours have been volunteered. He had always had a telephone with no answering machine until very recently. For thirty years he took calls from all walks of life with all kinds of problems and has spent literally thousands of hours on the phone from his house dealing with the public and their crises, all volunteer time.

Until the last several years, the Chief, getting paid for a 40 hour work week, would work at least half or more likely one hour extra each and every day, volunteered time. This would be as much as five hours a week and 20 hours a month and 240 hours of volunteer time per year, and only includes the donated time during the regular work week schedule.

Most recently, the great flood of 1996 had a huge catastrophic impact not only to our residents but residents also to the north; Loyalsock Township, Lycoming Township, Hepburn Township, Lewis Township, and McIntyre Township. The Chief worked 16-20 hour days for weeks. He established the soup kitchen for not only flood victims but saw the need for the rescuers and the workers. He coordinated relief supplies and a food and clothing store for any victims to access. When an official said “No” Chief Casale was the man who got the job done, he did not take “No” for an answer if it meant a better quality of life for the residents in the Lycoming Creek corridor. When fire, rescue, ambulance and police services were asked who the leader of the great flood recovery was, it was clearly Chief Casale.

The Chief sacrificed much, personally, during his brilliant public service career. He sacrificed so the residents of our community would have and could have a better quality of life.

He donated and volunteered thousands of hours to Old Lycoming Township because in his words, “I believe it was my job to do everything that I did.” No words ever rang more true from one individual public servant who has been a giant in our community – a place where Salvatore Anthony Casale has certainly left his legacy to make Old Lycoming Township a better place to live, play, and raise our families.

Chief Casale served 31 years as police officer for Old Lycoming Township, 29 years as police Chief, 28 years full time, 3 years part-time while starting the department, later starting in police work in 1967 as deputy constable in the 11th Ward, in Williamsport, was elected in 1968 as constable, 1967 he worked with Williamsport police department until 1971, as an auxiliary policeman, then in 1971 was hired as a part time police officer for the Old Lycoming Township, and in 1973 was appointed to police Chief for Old Lycoming Township for a total of 35 years in Law Enforcement.

Chief Casale has been recognized with several awards and achievements including Policeman of the Year Award in 1974; Governor’s Highway Safety Award in 1983; DUI Center Award in 1984; Appreciation Award from the Lycoming Law Enforcement Association in 1988; Governor’s Highway Safety Award Distinguished Service Award in 1990; Youth Service Award from the Ladies Auxiliary Post 7863 VFW in 1995; PA First Responder of the Year in 1999; Community Service Award in 2000; and the Distinguished Service Award, Exceptional Service Award, and 32 years EMS Service Award in 2002.

Other accomplishments include founder of the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association and Lycoming County DUI Center; coordinator of the 1996 flood recovery operation; major force in relocating route 15; and responsible for Old Lycoming Township Police Department officers receiving more than 200 awards of achievement and recognition.

A funeral service to honor the life of Chief Casale will be held 1. p.m. Thursday, September 19 at the Old Lycoming Fire Hall 1600 Dewey Ave., Williamsport. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 11a.m. -1p.m. Thursday at the Old Lycoming Fire Hall.

The family will provide the flowers and suggest memorial contributions in Chief Casale’s name be made to the Old Lycoming Township Fire Company 1600 Dewey Ave, Williamsport, PA 17701.

The family would like to thank Dr. Ciccarelli and staff for his wonderful care and the UPMC Hospice Nurses for their service.

Online condolences may be expressed on Sal’s memorial page at www.KnightConferFuneralHome.com.