Dr. Salvatore "Sal" Benjamin Corrallo

January 5, 1931 - December 14, 2020

Salvatore (Sal) Benjamin Corrallo, Department of Education researcher, athlete and devoted patriarch, died December 14, 2020 in Naples, Florida, after a brief illness. He was 89. He was born January 5, 1931, in Lockport, NY, to Benjamin and Louise Corrallo. Sal married Mildred (Murph) Weaver, and the couple had three children before Murph died in 1977 from cancer. He later married Marjorie Hayden, who also had three children, and became the patriarch of their blended family. Their home became the center of holiday celebrations and gatherings for extended family and friends. He is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Marjorie Hayden Corrallo, and their six children: Mark Corrallo (Huiling), Vanessa Mirabelli (Rick), Krista Paquin (Eric), Daniel Krause (CJ), Lisa Hastings (Phil) and Katrina Krause. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Jaedi Corrallo, Bianca Olson, Michael Mirabelli, Drew Paquin, Kelsey Paquin, Griffin Paquin, Daniel Krause, Mayrose Krause, Michael Krause, and Kai Hastings; and four great grandchildren, with a fifth on the way. He is also survived by four nieces and nephews. His only sibling, Geraldine Verdi, died in 2019 in Buffalo, NY. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and attended the University of Buffalo (UB) on the GI Bill, eventually earning a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He was elected president of the UB Student Council as an undergraduate, ran for public office in Erie County NY, and also took great joy from teaching high school math. During his studies for advanced degrees in education, he received a Federal Government Fellowship and moved his family to the suburbs of Washington. D.C. His belief in the importance of education and policy in improving people’s lives informed his career at the U.S. Department of Education, where he was project manager of the National Assessment of College Student Learning and authored multiple publications on post-secondary education costs, student aid programs and critical thinking curricula. He believed public service to be a noble profession and it was his deep belief in humanity and his fight against inequities that touched the lives of all who knew him. Throughout his life, he gave generously to over 30 charitable organizations and volunteered tirelessly to causes and organizations important to him and his family. Sal loved sports from an early age and was an accomplished athlete in his own right. He ran track, cross country and played baseball as a youth. He was captain of his cross-country team at UB and took on the coaching role when nagging injuries during his senior year prevented him from competing. He returned to running again in his forties with his children as an outlet from his deceased wife’s illnesses and was ultimately lured to the sport of racewalking. Among his many running and racewalking accomplishments were seven marathons (with a PR of 3:16), ultramarathons and 24-hour relays and he held numerous national and world age-group records in running and racewalking. He served as president of the Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club for many years and chaired the racewalking committee for USA Track and Field (USATF), for which he developed instructional clinics and competitive opportunities for young and elite racewalkers. He was recognized by USATF in 1985 with the President’s Award. In 1994, he and his family hosted several Belarusian racewalkers, who came to the U.S. on an athletic and cultural exchange. In retirement, he played softball in Delaware and Florida and set up the bylaws for the Old Timers Softball League in Rehoboth Beach, DE. In recognition of his many contributions, he was recently inducted into the OTS Hall of Fame. For the last years as residents of Naples, FL, Sal and his wife, Marjorie, devoted their love and energy to the community of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples. It was his wish for the interment of his ashes to be placed in the gardens of their beloved congregation. A service in his memory will be held after the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Southern Poverty Law Center, splcenter.org. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home.