Timothy J. Salerno

COHASSET:   Timothy J. Salerno,  61, died April 23, at home with family by his side, after a quiet and courageous battle with Melanoma.

Born on May 28, 1958 in Orange, New Jersey, he was the son of Gertrude (Rogers) Salerno and the late Nicholas J. Salerno. A long-time resident of Cohasset, he attended Cohasset schools where he was a member of the National Honor Society, played varsity baseball and captained the basketball team. He was a loyal and enthusiastic graduate of St. Michael’s College, Colchester VT.

After college, Tim began a 40+ year career in retailing, holding various positions in merchandising, promotional planning and finance at Filenes and Bradlees Department Stores and more recently, at CVS Health in Cumberland, RI.

An avid sailor, he was a longtime member of Cohasset Sailing Club. He could be found summer weekends and any free day cruising between Cohasset and Boston on his beloved sloop, Vesper. In the off season, he prepped and polished his craft, proud to achieve his goal of being the first Cohasset sailor with his boat in the harbor for the season. He loved competitive basketball and played into his late 50’s. He will be remembered for his “punny” wit and how he seamlessly quoted Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Big Bang Theory, Princess Bride, and of course, Monty Python. Most of all, he will be missed for his kindness and the way in which he lived his core value: It is never wrong to do the right thing.

He is survived by his best friend and adoring wife of 35 years, Liza (Carens), as well as his cherished daughter, Meghann. He leaves his siblings, VADM  (USCG Ret.) Brian and his wife Alice of Silver Spring MD, Patricia Sokolowski and her husband John of Derry NH, Christopher and his wife Alison of Freeport ME, Matthew and his wife Heidi of Cohasset, Gregory and his wife Pam of Cape Elizabeth ME, Kathryn Saleski of Bluffton SC, and Jennifer DiBona and her husband DJ of Kingston, MA as well as many nieces and nephews, of whom he was honored to be Godfather to five.

Throughout his illness, Tim endeavored to keep the life he loved as normal as possible, maintaining his upbeat sense of humor in spite of the challenges of multiple surgeries and treatments. A memorial Mass and a celebration of his well-lived life will be announced at a later date. His family would be honored if those who would like to make a donation in his name would direct them to Cohasset Sailing Club, PO Box 111, Cohasset, MA 02025 or to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.

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