SAL CELI 1951-2008

On August 29, 2008, my uncle Sal was tragically killed in a car accident on an Arizona freeway. His girlfriend, Leesa, is in critical condition and even tho I'm far from a religious person, I'm asking you all to keep her well-being in your prayers & your thoughts.

My uncle was 57 years old and he was one of my all-time favorite people to ever grace the planet Earth. He was an Italian kid from Bensonhurst who moved to the isolated deserts of Tucson, Arizona in 1981 (in 1981, Tucson being *isolated* was a vast understatement), and raised two sons - my cousins Nick & Mike - amongst the cacti & coyotes. Even though my time with him was always limited due to geographical distance, he was always close to my heart, and every visit to NY or trip to Arizona was highlighted by his wit, his generosity, his neverending quest for knowledge, and his free spirit.

Not unlike my parents - and many like them who grew up in the '60s & '70s - he was a musical influence, as well - Uncle Sal turned me on to everyone from Fleetwood Mac to Steppenwolf to The Beatles. And he was a damn fine piano player.

In short, he was one of my idols.

He's a link to my late grandparents - his parents - who died before their time over 15 years ago, and he was a pillar of strength & comfort for a kid like me during those hard times. It's moments like this that make you question life's mysteries the most, asking questions that don't have any real answers. My uncle was always the go-to guy for questions of this sort, and now, regretfully, he's no longer here to answer them.

It's one thing to love someone as a kid, but as I get older, I've learned to appreciate the kind of people I grew up around - there are a rare few in one's life whose presence molds you into the person you become as an adult, and whether it be genetics or by example, you're actually *proud* that you turned out like them. I always saw a lot of myself in my uncle, and I'm so proud that I share some of his qualities. Among his greatest were his interest in the past, and in the world. He was super smart & obsessed with genealogy, caught up in who he was & where he came from. He was a police sergeant and then a science teacher, and he always immersed himself in his work & in the world around him, traveling everywhere from the pyramids of Egypt to Alaska to China, and even down the Nile on a raft.
He was an explorer.

I know Uncle Sal wouldn't want me to cry about his passing. He would want me to learn from it - to see the beauty in life rather than the ugliness of death, and to remember him as he was - flawed, yet giving; compassionate, and always intellectually stimulating. He taught me to say 'I love you' to a male family member without feeling awkward, and saying those words back to him always felt natural and real.

And this is exactly why I cry for him, and why I cry for all the other people whose lives he's touched, many of whom are close to my heart, as well. He will be sorely missed by us all and his passing has left a hole in my heart.

You were the best, Uncle Sal. I love you.
-RS 8.31.08-