Carl Savillo Jr.

Mr. Carl Savillo Jr., 73 of Surprise, Arizona passed away on December 13, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born October 6, 1950, to Carl Savillo and Olga Savillo in Brooklyn, New York. As the first-born son of Carl and Olga Savillo, Carl Savillo Jr. spent his childhood in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, until his preschool years when he — along with his younger brother, Robert, and the family — moved to Ozone Park, Queens. During his formative childhood, his inquisitive intellect matured from playing with erector sets and toy trains and building model cars to his voluminous reading of Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Popular Science magazines. It was no surprise then that his first vehicle was an Austin-Healey, a British sports car, but he soon replaced it with a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle — the first of many cherished bikes that he owned over his life. One of his favorite songs, Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild,” so rhythmically captured his joy of riding and being free on the open road — a pastime he could fortunately do until the last weeks of his life. Like many children, he loved raising hamsters, turtles, and tropical fish (he also had a hedgehog when he was an adult), but playing with dogs was one of his favorite activities. He even rescued stray dogs and brought them home to the dismay of his parents! Having a dog was always a part of his family. He was very passionate about dogs and spared no expense when it came to their health. As they aged, he was right by their sides. He was a graduate of the New York City public school system. He first received his Associate Degree from the Academy of Aeronautics and his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at the then-called Polytechnic Institute of New York (now known as the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, the second oldest private Engineering school in the Country). With the assistance of the Dept of the United States Navy, he would later earn his Master’s Degree at the University of Southern California. While at Navair, Carl graduated from the Defense Systems Management College, Program Management Class 83-2 in 1983; the program was likened to the Harvard Business School at the time, and even included Harvard Professors who lectured there often. Not long after earning his Engineering Degree, he moved his family to Cincinnati, Ohio, working for General Electric as an Aerospace Engineer in the Wind Tunnel, on jet engines, and then to Seattle, Washington, for Boeing. There, he worked on the Boeing 757 and 767. After Boeing, Carl transported his family back to the East Coast and went to work for the DOD United States Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, D.C. Navair, as it’s called, relocated to Patuxent Naval base in Southern Maryland, where he worked in Source Selection until he retired. The Presidential Helicopter, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and Drones, were a few of the last things he contributed to. During his summer job, while still in College, as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Ozone Park, New York, he met his future wife, Debbi Figliola, while delivering letters to her office at Prudential Insurance. Carl wasted no time, and soon married Debbi and started a family. Carl and Debbi would have four children — Carl III, Rosalie, Robert, and Nicholas. Carl was a devoted husband and father. As someone very knowledgeable and passionate about new technology, Carl enjoyed building and working on computers, which came easily to him. He had multiple devices and spare parts all over his home office! He also immensely enjoyed playing video games and did so often with his children and grandchildren. He loved watching football, and later in life watched all types of sports on television. He was very mechanically inclined, and could fix anything, including cars, household appliances, and nearly anything else. Carl retired to Surprise, Arizona, where he lived with his wife, Debbi, and next door to his first-born son, Carl Savillo III, and his wife, Annie, and children, Gage, Luca, and Finn. He is survived by them as well as his daughter, Rosalie Savillo, and her daughter, Coralie; his son, Robert Savillo, and his wife, Katherine, and their two sons, Asher and Ranen; and his youngest son Nicholas Savillo.