Mary Salton

Mary Salton, 96, of Ithaca, NY, died peacefully at Kendal of Ithaca on May 1, 2026. She was born in Vienna, Austria, to Elias and Edith (Goldberg) Birnbaum on May 6, 1929. Though she was an only child, she grew up surrounded by a large and loving extended Jewish family during turbulent times in Europe. Shortly after Hitler marched into Vienna in 1938, at the age of 9, she and her parents were forced to flee and wound up in transit in Zürich, Switzerland, until 1948 when they received their visas to enter the United States.

After graduating from high school in Switzerland, Mary entered Hunter College in NYC where she met her future husband, Gerard Salton, at a foreign students’ party. They married in 1950 and moved to the Boston area in 1952. She raised a young family and worked as a coordinator of foreign languages and tutor for the Town of Belmont, MA. They moved to Ithaca, New York, in 1965 where Mary lived the rest of her life.

Mary was very gifted with foreign languages and spoke German, Swiss German, French, English, Greek, and Latin fluently, and had a working knowledge of at least three other languages. She attended many German classes at Cornell while raising her family. Her interest in foreign languages and curiosity of other countries and cultures created a love of travel. She and her husband visited many countries around the world. During this time, she became a very successful travel agent at Baker Travel where she worked for over 40 years. While she was a travel agent, she was an active member of the Ithaca Business and Professional Women. When Gerry passed away, she continued exploring and traveling with family and friends alike. Her grandchildren, especially, have cherished memories of these adventures with her and remember them fondly.

Mary was a devoted skier whose love for the sport shaped many of her happiest memories. She traveled with her family to ski in northern New England, Switzerland, and France, embracing both local and international slopes. In the mid-1970s, she and Gerry purchased a condominium in Aspen, which became—and remains—a cherished gathering place for family ski vacations. Even while living in Ithaca, Mary’s passion never waned; she continued skiing at Greek Peak with friends until she was nearly 80, a testament to her enduring spirit and dedication.

She was passionate about classical music and had subscriptions to concerts in Ithaca and New York City. She was a patron of the Cornell Bailey Hall Concert Series, Barnes Hall Concert Series, and the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra. She also attended the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado every summer, even in her later years.

Mary was predeceased by her husband, Gerard Salton, of 45 years in 1995. She is survived by her two children, Mariann Thompson and husband, Richard, of Cornish, NH, and Peter Salton and wife, Susan, of Ithaca, NY; three grandchildren, Morgan D’Ausilio and husband, Christopher, of Bridgewater, NJ, Katheryn Iglesias and husband, Fernando, of Lebanon, NH, and Alex Salton of New York City; and two great grandsons, Benjamin D’Ausilio, 10, and Zachary D’Ausilio, 8.

Mary’s indomitable spirit and her connection to all who knew her will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name can be made to the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and the Aspen Music Festival.