Dorothy M. Salerno, 92, of New Hartford, NY departed this life on Tuesday November 30,2021.As per her request there will be no services. She is survived by her son Steve Salerno, of Ohio.
If I had only one word to describe my mother it would be "odd".
She had an unusual way of thinking. Every detail was just as important as the next.
The overall picture didn't exist for her.
She never lost her Rhode Island accent or her love of accenting the wrong syllable of a word.
She was a terrible cook.
My visits were spent cooking her soups and meatballs for her freezer.
She had a hard time with deductive reasoning.
I'd spend hours trying to get her to see the logic of what I felt was a simple concept.
Later in life, I deduced she had a learning disability but not one that was easily noticeable. Learning by rote was how she got by.
She wrote down everything, many times on the paper that already had the information on it.
But when she put her mind to a task it got done, even if it took years.
She would never answer a yes and no question.
It was always a long winding description or explanation of her reasoning.
Eventually, I'd say, can't you just say yes or no?
If you knew someone who did something remarkable, she had a relative that also did it.
She would say the most inappropriate thing at the wrong time.
Mike (her late husband) would jokingly say she was raised by wolves.
Many times we would laugh at what she said, and others times just shake our heads. Tactful was not a family trait and if you met her mother or sister you'd understand.
Her parents were not always around as a child, so she was raised by a combination of relatives.
Luckily they all lived close, so she always had a roof over her head and food on the table.
Her formative years were spent during the Great Depression and WW2 living on a hill overlooking Providence, RI.
She didn't have a mean bone in her body.
Doing things for family and friends was a passion and she always saw the good in people.
Fortunately she had friends later in life that helped her live on her own.
Friends who visited her and took care of her when she needed them and treated her as family.
I'm thankful for you all.
She lived a good life and will be missed.
Arrangements are under the guidance of John L Matt Funeral Home, Chadwicks, NY.To send an online message of sympathy go to
www.johnlmattfuneralhome.com
