People Of Levittown: Beloved Bristol Twp. Crossing Guard Celebrates 75th Birthday

Vince DiSalvo said he “very much felt the love” when he was greeted with smiles, balloons and birthday cards on Friday at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School. The charming, beloved crossing guard of over 20 years, was celebrating his 75th birthday.

The humble veteran and former U.S. Steel worker, may have never mentioned it was his birthday, but his wife and three daughters would have never let a big birthday like that be wasted.

Patricia Walton, DiSalvo’s daughter, helped arrange his birthday plans weeks in advance, leaving not a moment untouched by a birthday surprise.

As DiSalvo parked in his usual spot under the pine trees across from the primary school, he was greeted with balloons and a sign, a sign that appropriately read “Honk for my 75th birthday!”. Once inside the school, Emerson’s principal Terrie Giardine helped organize all the children in the gymnasium, equipped with dozens of birthday cards and a heartfelt ‘Happy Birthday’ tune.

When DiSalvo told his daughter what happened in school that day she said “his voice was crackling and the tears were very present in his eyes, so much that he needed a tissue before he could finish his story.” He said, “Patty Ann, I didn’t know what to say. I was so taken back in the gym that I just kept touching my heart because I was speechless.”

Walton remarked her dad is almost never speechless, he’s Italian.

“I must have 150 cards,” DiSalvo told LevittownNow.com as he stood by his sign donned in ‘crossing guard neon’ while passerbys honked wildly. “I don’t know what I’ll ever do with them all. But that’s my daughter, and the other two are just like her.”

DiSalvo, a nearly life-long resident of Bristol Township, has lived in the township’s Appletree section with his wife Marie for over 46 years. DiSalvo mentioned the two will celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary this upcoming September.

“I was in the service and when I got out we got married,” he said. “I met her when I was asked to drive in her brother’s wedding.”

DiSalvo, who said he owed his crossing guard position all to his wife who first suggested it, has served under four principals while working at Emerson.

“It fills somewhat of the void,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends here.”

Over the weekend, the birthday celebrations continued for DiSalvo. He spent his Saturday at the Philadelphia Phillies game where Walton said his name was “up in lights” and he had confetti thrown all over him.