Michael SALSTER

SALSTER, Michael D.,

64, died Tuesday, October 4, 2011. He was director of communications for the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (2001-10).

Mr. Salster served from 1968-73 in the U.S. Army, working in communications at the German headquarters in Europe and left as a Specialist 5th Class. The Marietta, Ohio native received his journalism degree from The Ohio State University. He worked with the Columbus Dispatch where he won the Wolfe Prize for feature writing and a Gannett Award for spot news coverage. In 1988 he joined the Republican Party of Virginia as director of communications. Later, he was campaign director of communications for former Lt. Gov. John Hager and other Virginia and Ohio campaigns. From 1990 to 2000, Mr. Salster was editor of The Amelia Bulletin Monitor in Amelia. He was involved in the beginning of the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership at UVA. Mr. Salster is survived by his wife, Ann; sister, Joyce Scott, of Reno, Ohio; daughter, Jennifer Homza, of Cleveland, Ohio; stepchildren, Bekki Morris, of Amelia, and Sam T. Morris, of Arlington, Vt.; stepson-in-law, Charley Bupp, of York, Pa.; and eight grandchildren. Funeral services are 11:30 a.m. at Hope Chapel, Amelia, with visitation at 10:30 a.m. Interment follows at Virginia Veterans Cemetery with military honors. Memorial gifts may be sent to Amelia County Christmas Mothers' Program, Inc., PO Box 123, Amelia, Va. 23002.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.