On Thursday, January 26th, 2023, V.R. (Jim) DiSalvo, loving husband and father of five, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at age 85. Jim was born June 19, 1937, in Batavia, NY to the late Salvatore and Mary Kathleen (Miller) DiSalvo. Jim was an avid motorcyclist, businessman, and lover of all things Christmas.
After a tour of duty in the Navy during the mid-’50s, Jim returned home to Western New York, where he excelled professionally in various industries, including the chemicals industry, horse racing, motorcycle racing, and the printing industry. During that time, he also promoted the first-ever WERA Grand National Finals in West Palm Beach, FL, in 1977.
In 1980, Jim made his mark on the printing industry when he founded Applied Business Systems, Inc. with his wife, Connie DiSalvo. ABS would become a leader in Variable Data Digital Printing, as it remains to this day.
In the motorcycle racing world, Jim will be remembered as an accomplished flat tracker and road racer in his own right, as well as an owner of Team America Gran Prix Racing, a team that won races across the United States and internationally in Europe, and as the manager of his son Jason DiSalvo’s professional career in racing.
Jim’s love of Christmas was manifested every year at his home on Fargo Road in Stafford, NY. His display included over 150 animated and static lighted figurines and over 1 million lights that would draw thousands of visitors to the property every Christmas season.
Jim is survived by and missed by his wife of 42 years, Connie (Tuttobene) DiSalvo; children Pam DiSalvo of Batavia, Tim DiSalvo of Azusa, CA, Steven (Karen) Samis of LeRoy, Lisa (Dan) Ormsbee of Stafford, and Jason (Bethany) DiSalvo of Stafford. He is forever cherished and remembered by his six grandchildren Ashlee DiSalvo, Katelyn Samis, Stephany Samis, Zach Samis, Romeo DiSalvo, and Romilly DiSalvo; his brothers, the late Ronald (Rose) DiSalvo of Batavia and Samuel (late Vida) DiSalvo of Batavia; and sisters, Florence (Joe) Condidorio of LeRoy and Kitty (late Louie) Severino of Highland Heights, Ohio.
Calling hours are Tuesday (January 31) from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street, Batavia. Jim’s Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday (February 1) at 10:00 a.m. at Ascension Parish, 15 Sumner Street in Batavia. He will be laid to rest with military honors at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Batavia.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department, or the United Memorial Medical Center for their new ICU unit.
