John Anthony “Dick” Sarta
Obituary
John Anthony “Dick” Sarta was born of Italian descent on April 2, 1929 in Lodi, New Jersey. Dick (also known as Richard and John) died after complications from pneumonia on December 8, 2021 in Waverly, New York with his wife Dolores at his side.
He grew up in Lodi under difficult circumstances. His mother died from pneumonia when he was 9, and his father from an accident when he was 16. He and his brother Adam were taken in by his Uncle Sam, Aunt Marie, and Grandmother Rosa. He attended high school, but never graduated. Yet, he made self-education a priority throughout his life. Working various jobs, he eventually acquired a dump truck and worked for various construction companies for several years.
Dick was always an athlete. During his teens and twenties, he was a bodybuilder and a diver, but a bad dive resulted in a back injury that ended his diving career. One day, his uncle took him to a golf course. He was fascinated by not being able to get a small ball into a hole. He bought a set of clubs and, soon after, sold the dump truck and went into golf full time.
His first job in the golfing industry was at Wayne Country Club. He ran the golf operations under Mickey Trania, the club professional. His days would consist of getting there at 5AM to practice for a couple hours, work until 5 or 6, and then hit balls until dark. The next morning, he would get there early and hit the balls back to the pro shop to pick them up before the course opened. This was how he learned the game. His next position was as an assistant pro at Orchard Hills Country Club. He spent a few years there before becoming an assistant pro at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, NJ. After the retirement of the Head Pro, Andy LaPola, he became Head Pro in 1970 and held that position until his retirement in 1993. He then bought DJ’s Golf Center in Waverly, NY and was co-owners with Dolores and youngest son Joel, also a professional golfer. DJ’s and Bethie’s Place are now a local landmark in Chemung County Waverly/Sayre area and is still a thriving business today.
Dick’s achievements in golf were extraordinary and numerous. A brief list is below:
• Dodge Open winner (1969)
• Co-winner Chevy Golf Classic (1969)
• 4-time Bergen Open Winner
• 4-time NJ Senior PGA Winner
• Cooperstown Senior and Super Senior Open Winner (1989, 1991)
• Runner-up NJ Open (1979) and NJPGA Tournament (1986)
• Runner-up National Country Club Pro Championship (1973)
• Played on South American and European Tours
• 4-time Qualifier US Senior Open (placed 13th in Oak Hills, MI)
• 7-time Qualifier National PGA Senior Championship
• 5-time Qualifier PGA Club Pro Championship
• NJPGA Golf Professional of the Year (1985)
• NJPGA Senior President (1982-84)
• PGA member for 63 years
• Course Record holder on 5 North NJ Golf Courses
Dick was also a gourmet cook, and in true Italian fashion, loved to share his gifts. During his years at Preakness Hills, Monday Night Football gatherings were the event that club members vied to get invited to. Homemade pizza, sausage bread, pasta, seafood, and whatever else he dreamed up made for years of wonderful memories. He spent his retirement years at Bethie’s Place cooking alongside Joel, making different featured dishes and pizza specials that became well known throughout Chemung Valley. He always created great new dishes that were one of a kind.
He was also an avid pool player and competed against players in New York and Florida who were less than half his age, winning most of the time. His game remained sharp well into his nineties. He was also a fan of Boogie Woogie piano and passed on that passion for music to his son Jon, who is a professional musician in the Orlando, FL area.
His legacy is a true rags to riches story. With no money and little education, he taught himself golf and became one of the best players in New Jersey. He was successful in sports and business and had a full family life. He was always extremely active and worked almost every day until a month before his death. His determination and ethics were hallmarks of his amazing life. He was a true inspiration and role model for his children (eldest son Richard is a successful real estate investor, broker, and appraiser) and all who met him. He was a strong Christian throughout his life and read his Bible daily. May he now enjoy everlasting life with the Lord. He will be greatly missed.
Dick is survived by his wife of 63 years Dolores; sons Richard and wife Nettie of Ft. Pierce, FL; Jonathan and wife Lisa of Orlando, FL; and Joel and wife Brandy of Waverly, NY, and grandchildren Andrew, Flip, Danielle, Emily, and Erica Sarta, Maria Loza, and Bre Robinson, and by extended family members Tina Timm and Chelsea Crawford.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. James Catholic Church in Waverly, NY on May 24th at 11AM. A celebration of his life will follow at DJ’s Golf Center. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Saddle Brook, NJ on May 25th at 11AM. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to St. James Church.
