John Salierno

John Salierno, a lifelong educator and devoted family man, died peacefully on November 14, 2025 at the age of 84.
John was born in a home (delivered by a midwife) on Beech Street in Paterson, New Jersey on September 14, 1941 to Vincenzo Salierno and Maria Salierno (nee Cascone). He was raised in a household where two Italian dialects (Neapolitan and Sicilian) and no English were spoken, and educated by nuns at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church Grammar School in Paterson. His family moved to Totowa, New Jersey in 1952, and John attended Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls, New Jersey, and graduated from St. John the Baptist High School in Paterson.
Throughout his childhood, John studied the piano and guitar, and even took lessons from the great John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli. He was encouraged to apply to the Juilliard School in New York City, but declined as he felt he did not have the discipline. He worked many jobs as a kid, including delivering newspapers, setting pins in a bowling alley, washing cars on Union Boulevard in Totowa, and washing dishes at Eva's Kitchen in Paterson. While never a religious man, John often attributed his Roman Catholic immigrant upbringing to his strong character, deep commitment to family, and passion for learning.
The most formative years of John's youth were during his service as a cryptographer in the United States Air Force, the majority of which he was stationed in Aviano, Italy. It was there that John first discovered that he did not in fact speak Italian, but only dialects of Italian. Upon discharge in 1964, he enrolled at the University of Maryland, and ultimately completed his undergraduate degree with courses at Rutgers University and Seton Hall University. Later he obtained a Master's degree in counseling education from New York University.
For over three decades, John pursued his love of languages teaching Italian and Spanish to thousands of students at Passaic Valley High School. The classroom was his natural habitat, and he frequently recounted interactions with students and teaching methodologies, including teaching language through song. Former students were always happy to bump into him and recall the fond memories of their high school experience. John was very proud of the fact that, in his entire teaching career, only five students failed his courses, and was unable to ever forget the three students who took their own lives as adults. Before retiring from teaching, John became an insurance broker and operated Salierno Travel & Insurance in Little Falls, and later worked as a real estate broker in Passaic County.
Aside from spending time with his family, John loved two activities: reading and exercising. He had dozens of dictionaries in three languages, and was constantly looking up words. During breaks at work, John would climb stairs to stay in shape. He never hesitated to share his health and fitness tips with others, even demonstrating the proper way to do squats or military presses. Until he was injured after a fall in 2024, John lifted weights several times per week.
In the early 1990's, John successfully spearheaded local opposition to a proposed development plan that would have converted his neighborhood into a commercial district with a supermarket. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Clifton Board of Education in 2007 and later the Clifton City Council, but remained a very vocal critic of local government and regularly attended public meetings to speak his mind.
John cherished his family more than anything. He married Peggy Salierno (nee Shadel) in 1978, and together they raised four beautiful children: Sonya Salierno (husband, William Cheung) of Weehawken, New Jersey; Eva Visperas (husband, Rico Visperas) of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; John V. Salierno (wife, Besaira Salierno) of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Lia Salierno Duval (husband, Miguel Duval) of Rutherford, New Jersey. John adored his grandchildren, Jack and Dean Visperas, Vincent and Valentina Salierno, and Gregory Cheung, who will always remember him as a doting and didactic grandfather.
John also held a special place in the hearts of his father-in-law, William Shadel, and his wife, Barbara Thomson, of Pennsylvania. He is also survived by a sister, Lucy Conte.
John's captivating presence made him an unforgettable figure in the lives of all who had the pleasure of knowing him. There can be no doubt that he will live forever in the hearts and minds of those he loved and those he taught.
Visitation will be from 3pm – 8pm Wednesday, November 19 at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home, 1313 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, New Jersey. The funeral will be Thursday, November 20, at 10:45am from the funeral home, and 11:30am at St. Philip the Apostle RC Church, 797 Valley Road, Clifton, New Jersey. Committal service with United States Air Force Military Honors to follow at East Ridgelawn Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel, Clifton, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey (www.wish.org/nj), 1384 Perrineville Road, Monroe Township, New Jersey 08831.
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