William "Billy" R. Gaeta

COOLIDGE - William R. "Billy" Gaeta, 81, of Coolidge died on Dec. 19, 2015, at Southern Arizona VA Medical Center in Tucson.

Rosary will be recited at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. James Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30. A reception will follow at the church.

Mr. Gaeta was born on July 2, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York, and was a son of Sebastian and Maude Gaeta. Anyone who knew him knew his infectious passion for cooking, Frank Sinatra, baseball and most of all his family and helping people. He loved when people would rave over his cooking, and he would rarely share his recipes.

He served in the Air Force and was honorably discharged after four years. He was best known for his auto repair and painting and his sausage. He was known as "The Sausage Man," and people would come and sit with him when he had his food cart at Central Avenue and Arizona Boulevard. He spent countless hours making and sharing his sausage with his friends and family as well as celebrities, including Frank Sinatra and Vic Damone. He was caring, sensitive and hot tempered and liked to help others. He was very straightforward and enjoyed watching the Diamondbacks with his grandsons or taking them to the ballpark.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Margaret; four daughters, Doreen Mendoza and Margaret "Meg" Gaeta of Coolidge, Denise Delk of Florence and Catherine Anderson of Florida; a brother, Frank Gaeta of California; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a sister, Catherine Frank.

Flowers will be received at the church, or donations may be made to: Southern Arizona VA Medical Center, 3601 S. Sixth Ave., Tucson, AZ 85723, 520-792-1450, or American Lung Association of Arizona, 2819 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-323-1812.

J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud Coolidge Chapel is in charge of arrangements.