Sebastian J. "Sid" Spano Profile Photo

Sebastian J. "Sid" Spano

d. January 22, 2025

ALBANY

Sebastian J. "Sid" Spano

ALBANY - Sebastian J. (Sid) Spano passed away on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. He was 89 years of age. He was married to his High School Sweetheart Margaret A. Byrne. Both attended Cathedral Academy in Albany. He was predeceased by his father, Sebastiano Spano, his mother, Adele (Lena) Ragosta Spano, his sisters Josephine Spano Calka and Francis Anne Spano and his brother, Dominic A. Spano. He is survived by his daughters, Cheryl A. Ryan of Albany, Deborah A. Piombino of Wake Forest, NC, Brig. Gen. (Ret’d) Steven J. Spano (Kimberly McConkey Spano) of Saratoga, Peggy Ann Spano of Guilderland, and Dr. Sandra Spano Rodriguez of McAllen, TX; and by 11 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. 

Sid graduated from Cathedral Academy in 1954. He was president of his senior class and was a member of the very successful 1952-1953 football team that lost only one game that season. He also played on the Varsity basketball team. In 2006 he joined several members of the 1952 – 1953 football team who were elected to the Bishop Maginn/Cardinal McCloskey Sports Hall of Fame. He attended Hudson Valley Technical Institute, graduated in 1956, receiving an associate’s degree in Air Conditioning Technology. He entered the U.S. Army in August 1956, taking his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. He then took further training in the Army Finance and Accounting division at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He completed five and a half years in the New York Army National Guard as a member of the 527th Administration Company. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was a section head of the Finance and accounting section responsible for computing the payroll for the Division at Fort Drum during the two-week deployment there each year. 

Upon his arrival home he returned to work for a manufacturer of commercial aluminum refrigerators, freezers and beverage coolers in the engineering test and development laboratory. In 1959 he went to work in the customer Engineering Department of Montgomery Wards designing heating, air-conditioning, and plumbing systems, gradually assuming the role of custom kitchen designer. When the department relocated to Baltimore, Md., he transferred to the merchandising department as an inventory control specialist for heating, air-conditioning and plumbing equipment serving the general catalogue, 34 retail stores and 235 catalog and sales agency stores. 

In 1967 he took a job for a large Mechanical Contractor in Albany, working as an estimator, project manager and design/build engineer and project manager. In that capacity, he completed 405 projects from Plattsburgh, NY to Pine Plains, NY in Westchester County which included such projects as the 16 story Social Services building, the Hilton Hotel and the Omni Financial Center in downtown Albany. His design/build projects included the Villa Mary Immaculate Nursing Home, the restoration of the Kenmore Hotel and the rehabilitation of the Albany Times Union Building to the NYS Equalization and Assessment office building. He was project manager for the installation of the heating and air-conditioning system for the Olympic Ice-Skating Arena at Lake Placid for the 1980 Olympics. In 1972 and for 18 years, he took on the added duty as Elementary and Advance Heating Theory Instructor for the apprentices in the Local 7 Pipe Fitters Union.

In 1987, he took a position as HVAC, an Industrial Designer for the largest upstate engineering company for that time, Clough Harbour & Associates. In that capacity, he was a member of the HVAC design team for the Knickerbocker Arena (now MVP Arena) and the SUNY Field House in Albany. In the Industrial Engineering department, he was a member of the field team for the design of the gasoline blending project at all of the Mobil Gasoline terminals in all locations throughout the country. His terminal projects were in Albany, New Jersey, Baltimore, Virginia, Rhode Island, and at four locations in California. He was also a member of the design team for the Barge Ballast Wastewater and Treatment Facility at the Albany Mobile Gasoline terminal. In 1990, and until retirement, he went to work for Spec Engineering, who obtained the Exxon Mobil contract for the addition of gasohol at all of their terminals throughout the U.S. and the Mariana Islands. He was also the design engineer for the HVAC and Plumbing systems for the New Covenant Charter School in Albany. The firm was also contracted by Union College to manage the 15-million-dollar project for the conversion of the old Ramada Inn on Erie Blvd. in Schenectady to the dormitories at College Park, for which he was made an on- site project manager for building construction and for the soccer field.

In 2003, he was invited to be a volunteer member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Teresian House Home for the Elderly. In that capacity, he volunteered, and jointly with the environmental building engineer, Gerald Palma and his staff, managing the 3.5-million-dollar renovation and changeover of the existing electric heating system to a state-of-the-art Water source heat pump heating and air-conditioning system, all of which took 2 years to complete. He remained on the committee for 18 years.

Sid loved to watch Yankee baseball, Giants football, doing crossword puzzles, and going out to dinner, but mostly he loved being surrounded by his children and grandchildren and catching up with his best friends, Joe Conley, Joe Burke, Jerry Palma, Vince Raguso and Ken Daly, along with the rest of the coffee group and his beloved Cathedral classmates. 

Sid would especially like to thank the administration and staff of the Teresian House for the care he received from the RNs, CNAs, Aids, and especially the Physical and Occupational Therapists.

The family would like to thank the staff of St. Peter’s Hospital for their compassionate care, especially the Inpatient Hospice Unit.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Teresian House Center for the Elderly or to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital by visiting www.stjude.org.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in All Saints Catholic Church, 16 Homestead St., Albany on Monday, January 27th, at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the church prior to the mass from 9-11 a.m. Interment will be in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hans Funeral Home, Albany. To leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit www.HansFuneralHome.com.

Click here to view the funeral mass livestreamed on Monday, January 27th, at 11:00 a.m.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Sebastian J. "Sid" Spano, please visit our flower store.
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Today's Services

Visitation

Monday, January 27, 2025

9:00 - 11:00 am (Eastern time)

All Saints Catholic Church

16 Homestead St., Albany, NY 12203

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Mass

Monday, January 27, 2025

Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)

All Saints Catholic Church

16 Homestead St., Albany, NY 12203

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