Ronald Salvo

Ronald Salvo

AGE: 80 • Toms River

Ronald Salvo of Toms River, 80, passed away on Oct. 30. A beloved husband and father, he will be remembered always for his boundless kindness, mischievous sense of humor and dedication to his family. Born in Jersey City, Ron grew up in North Bergen and joined the Navy in the 1950s. He was stationed in Atlantic City, where he served as an air traffic controller during the Korean War. A few years later he met the love of his life, Dorothy, at a dance, where she dazzled him with her mastery of the cha-cha. He brought her a rose every week thereafter, and they were wed 8 months later in 1957. Ron and Dorothy settled in Old Tappan in a home they designed themselves. Ron enjoyed several distinct careers—he was a confectioner, a bus driver and, with Dorothy, the owner/operator of a home décor business—but music was a constant. A lifelong guitar player, Ron gigged almost every weekend and instilled in his sons, nephews and nieces a love of and talent for music that has shaped their lives. After retirement, he picked up the banjo and was a member of the Dixieland jazz band Red Beans and Rice. Ron was also passionate about golf, bowling, watching the Yankees and the Giants, and animals (often insisting that his "granddogs" only really had fun when he was around).

He was a loving partner to Dorothy and a devoted father and friend to Todd (Robyn) and Ron Jr. (Carrie). He will be in our hearts forever.

A gathering to celebrate Ron's life will be scheduled in the near future. Donations in his memory may be made to the Popcorn Zoo or the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA).