Obituary of Carl Savino

Carl L. Savino, a longtime Cortland resident and former administrator in the Cortland County Schools, passed away on May 1, 2025. He was 97 years old. The son of Joseph and Josephine (Rongo) Savino, Carl was born on December 23, 1927, in Dansville, N.Y. He graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 1950, with a Bachelor of Science in Education. He would go on to earn a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Syracuse University in 1954. While in his senior year at Geneseo, Carl served as captain of three men's sports teams: soccer, basketball, and baseball. In 2015, the university honored him with the Hall of Fame Award for his leadership in baseball. Over the years, he and his wife, Olga – both distinguished Geneseo alumni – helped to support cancer research at the college. During his life, Carl enjoyed a long career in education in various New York State school systems. Among his positions, he taught at the elementary level in Ovid, N.Y., where he also coached varsity baseball and JV basketball at Interlaken Central School. He taught special education in the Rochester City School District, and from 1954-1955, he was a 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade teacher at Chittenango High School. He was later appointed as Elementary Supervisor in the Poland Central School District, as well as the West Canada Valley Central School District in Newport, N.Y. He continued his career as a school administrator in Groton, N.Y., where he served as Principal of Groton Elementary School from 1958-1965. The Cortland County School District hired him in 1965. In Cortland, he served for 18 years as the Direction of Elementary Education and later as the Assistant to the Superintendent for Elementary Education. He also served for a time as the Interim Acting Superintendent of Schools. As an educator, Carl built a strong and impressive reputation as an innovator and received several grants (including Ford Foundation grants) for the benefit of children in the Groton and Cortland schools. Apart from his career, Carl dedicated a significant portion of his time to civic roles and interests. Early on, from 1960-1961, he was the President of the Southern Tier Elementary Administrators, and for many years, Carl was involved in Rotary International, serving as President of the Groton Chapter. Following his retirement from the Cortland Schools, he served in the mid-1980s on the Cortland Memorial Hospital Board. During that time, he was also an officer of the Cortland Country Club Board. An avid golfer, Carl turned his passion for golf into a business venture, contributing to the development and management of the Walden Oaks Country Club. In 1995, he became the club's principal owner. He and his first wife, Mary Lou Tucci, were married for almost 40 years, until her death in 1992. They were married at St. Anthony's Catholic Church and became longtime parishioners there, with Carl calling St. Anthony's his church home for more than 60 years. In 1999, Carl married Olga Gerych Keefe, who survives him. He is also survived by his sons, Carl (Susan) and David (Caroline); and his daughter, Luanne (Thomas, deceased) O'Loughlin. He was the proud grandfather of Andrew Savino, Carolyn (Joshua) Dahl, Kathryn (Jacob) Conners, Laura (Matthew) DiGioia, and Amanda (Kyle) Bostic. He recently welcomed two great-grandchildren, Thomas Jacob Conners and Blake Mae Bostic. He was predeceased by his brothers Frank, Joseph, Donald, and Anthony, and his sister Philomena. Friends and relatives may call on the family from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, May 9 at the Wright-Beard Funeral Home, 9 Lincoln Avenue in Cortland. A funeral mass will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 10 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, 50 Pomeroy Street in Cortland. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Anthony's Church in Cortland, N.Y. or the Elizabeth Brewster House in Homer, N.Y.