Charles F. Salerno, MD

Passed away Saturday February 17th at the age of 81.

Charles was born in Warren, PA in 1936, the youngest of four children. He was high school class

president, catcher on the baseball team, and quarterback on the football team. Until the end, he

advocated the single wing and drop kick. He graduated from the University of Buffalo and in

1964, from the Stritch School of Medicine of Loyola University. Charles and Theda were

married in Detroit in 1964 after a six year courtship that began when Theda was his nephew’s

first grade teacher in Warren and continued in Chicago as they both sought their graduate

degrees. He served as a doctor in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1966 with a tour in Korea. He

always referred to that time as his honeymoon since Theda accompanied him and taught in the

missionary school near his army base. After his tour in the army, he completed his post

doctorate specialty in pulmonology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where he and a few friends

talked of starting a multi-specialty clinic together. They searched the country for a place that

was in need of doctors and thus, Charles and Theda moved their young family to Pueblo,

Colorado in 1971 where he was a founding physician of the Southern Colorado Clinic. He left

private practice to slow down a bit but doctoring was his passion and he spent the past several

years practicing at Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson.

Charles was an active member of the community. He served as president of the Colorado chapter

of the American Lung Association for a term in the ’70s, and helped at Champ Camp for children

with severe asthma. He was active with the cub scouts and little league baseball associations. He

was a lifelong Yankees fan and a true fan of all Colorado sports teams from the moment he made

Colorado his home.

Besides his wife of 51 years, Charles is survived by his daughter, Michelle, (Joel Ziegler), and

grandsons, Henry and Rowan, of Philadelphia, PA and son, Christopher (Ericka) of Littleton,

CO., his sister Mary Jane of Warren, PA, and brothers Joseph of San Jose, CA and Leroy (Mary

Anne) of Sunnyvale, CA. and his nieces and nephews.

Charles loved his family and friends and they loved him. He will be greatly missed. A Mass of

Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, March 22nd at 10:00 at St Joseph R.C. Church,

600 Pennsylvania Avenue West, Warren, PA., with Fr. Richard Tomasone, Pastor, officiating.

Entombment will be in the Mausoleum of the Ascension in St Joseph Cemetery, Warren, PA.

The Donald E. Lewis Funeral Home, Inc. has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. E-mail

condolences can be sent by visiting www.lewisfuneralhomeinc.com