Vasilios Saites

Vasilios “Bill” Saites, age 93 of Saddle River died peacefully at home on January 14, 2022. Bill was born in the village of Othos on the Greek island of Karpathos to Theodora (nee Papadopoulos) and Nicholas Saites. He left his home at the age of 14 to attend high school in Rhodes, Greece and in 1948 he emigrated to the United States to pursue the American Dream. Unable to speak the language, he attended school to learn English while working to support himself in a variety of jobs in Manhattan and Brooklyn. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from City College of New York while playing goalie on the college varsity soccer team and making lifelong friends. After graduating he worked for Beach Concrete Company where he met and married their secretary, Cornelia Collar in 1956. In 1962 he formed Astro Concrete, Inc., specializing in the construction of cast in place reinforced concrete high-rise buildings. In a career spanning 55 years, Bill and his company provided the concrete work for more than 200 mid and high-rise buildings, predominantly in Northern New Jersey. In 1982 he became President of the Horizon Diner, a fixture in Ramsey, NJ for over 37 years. Bill and his wife were founding members and parishioners at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff, where he was a generous benefactor.

            Bill’s greatest joy came from watching his children and grandchildren grow and thrive. He is remembered as a generous and supportive father and grandfather. He is predeceased by Cornelia, his wife of 48 years. He is survived by his children Nicholas and his wife Theresa, of Washington Township, and Stafford and her husband John Patentas, of Saddle River, grandchildren Alexandra, Victoria and Christiana Saites and Cornelia and Vasilios Patentas, his sister Rigopoula Trembella of Maroussi, Greece and nieces, nephews and cousins.

The Saites family will receive friends at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff on Friday, January 21, 4:00 until 8:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at St. Nicholas G.O. Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff on Saturday, January 22 at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at the Valleau Cemetery of Ridgewood. 

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