By Nicole Falco
Sattler, a lifelong Valley Stream resident, died on March 26 following a massive stroke.
"He was never the kind that did anything for glory. He did it because he enjoyed it," said Ruth, his wife of 56 years.
Sattler grew up on Gold Street in Valley Stream's west end. His best man, Raymond Lederle, said there were so many Sattlers in the west end that they practically owned it. Lederle first met Sattler when both were members of the Valley Stream Panthers baseball team.
Ruth and Sattler both attended Valley Stream Central High School. Though two years younger than Sattler, the two found themselves on a double date in high school, but didn't start to date seriously until Sattler came out of the service.
Sattler was a senior in high school when he enlisted in the army reserves. He graduated in uniform and was then stationed in Atlantic City during World War II.
In notes dated 1990, Sattler wrote, "All I can say about the war days is the Germans never invaded Atlantic City while I was there."
The private first class spent less than one year in service and received a medical discharge in Aug. 1943 after contracting rheumatic fever.
Sattler married in January 1946. According to Lederle, "[Sattler] had two friends both with the initials R.L. There was me, Raymond Lederle, and Robert Laubenberg. [Sattler] said whoever got home and out of service first would be his best man. I happened to get out in October."
Sattler spent 30 years working for Sid Harvey, an oil company in Valley Stream. Besides his career, Sattler was a member of the Valley Stream Kiwanis and served as vice president during his membership; he was a member of the Masons for almost 50 years and served as master of the Valley Stream lodge in 1965; he taught Sunday school at Olivet Baptist Church in Valley Stream from 1946-1968, became the first ordained deacon of that church in 1979 and managed the church's little league team; and Sattler was an advisor to the Rainbow Girls.
Sattler enjoyed trout fishing with friends and golfing upstate, but he also enjoyed dancing as a member of a Norwegian dancing group. Sattler and his wife spent the 1980s as members of the group and danced along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, at Eisenhower Park and were invited to Norway to dance.
While Ruth had danced most of her life, Sattler didn't begin dancing until the 1950s.
"The village offered ballroom dancing at Wheeler Avenue School and I always loved to dance, but he wasn't very good," Ruth said. "I asked him if he wanted to go and he said I don't want to do that stuff."
Ruth called up a friend and said, "Tell Bill, Freddy is going to [dance] and I'll tell Freddy, Bill is going to do it."
The two couples learned to tango, waltz, cha-cha and much more.
Sattler was also a member of the Sons of Norway since 1975 with Ruth. Sattler wasn't actually Norwegian, but Ruth was, so the two enjoyed the heritage together.
Sattler is also survived by three children: Jeanne Carter, Marilyn Cerveny and Frederick; three grandchildren: Emily Carter, Kristopher and Jessica Cerveny; and a sister, Anna Hogan.
