On Friday, Sept. 10, 2021 Robert Bullis Salisbury, banker, community leader, sportsman and proud fifth generation Syracusan, died at age 86.
The son of Dorothy MacMillan and Robert Mills Salisbury, he was born on May 21, 1935, in Elmhurst, IL. He graduated from Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA, and Williams College.
He started his banking career at First Trust and Deposit (now Key Bank) immediately following graduation from college in 1958, but over the years he completed an advanced graduate degree from the National Trust School at Northwestern University and a graduate certificate from the American Institute of Banking.
After 37 years in banking, with just one move from First Trust to Marine Midland Bank (now HSBC) in 1981, he retired in 1995 as senior vice president.
Throughout the years he upheld the family tradition of community service. He was president of the fledgling International Center of Syracuse, board member and treasurer of the Central New York Community Foundation, board member of the Everson Museum of Art, board member of Contact, president of the Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education and director of the Onondaga/Madison County School Board.
He was a board member of two family companies, Pass & Seymour and Syracuse China. He was Senior Warden of Christ Church in Manlius and director and treasurer of the Episcopal Foundation of the Diocese of Central New York. He was a board member of Oakwood Morningside Cemeteries.
Bob was an avid fisherman and sailor, competing his Flying Scot on Fourth Lake in the Adirondacks where his family maintained a camp for 100 years. He was a hunter of birds and deer and, after he and his wife moved to their beloved Homestead Farm in Cazenovia, he even foxhunted with Limestone Creek Hunt Club.
But golf was his passion after retirement. A 63-year member of Onondaga Golf and Country Club, he had a hole-in-one there in 2011 and shot his age twice after he was 80. He played a round with his buddies days before he went into the hospital. He also loved a good game of bridge with the Cazenovia Library Tuesday group and his Thursday afternoon cronies. He was a member of the Century Club and the Regal Crown Club.
Bob golfed and fished with his sons and he and his daughter formed their own special cheering section for Syracuse University sports, especially football, a passion bracketed by their father-daughter trips to the Sugar Bowl in 1988 and the Camping World Bowl in 2018.
Over the years Toni and Bob travelled the world, visiting every continent except Antarctica.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years Toni; three children: Elizabeth Salisbury Hackley of Cazenovia; Robert Mills Salisbury II (Kim) of Pittsford, NY; and Matthew Bullis Salisbury (Jeannie) of Charlotte, NC; six grandchildren: Kyle MacMillan Hackley of Boston, MA; Katherine Salisbury Matthews (James) of Washington, DC; Becky Salisbury Coyle (Andrew) of Charlotte, NC; Celia Salisbury (Justin Evans) of Washington, DC; Elizabeth Salisbury (Greg Szumel) of Chapel Hill, NC; and Wilson Salisbury of Charlotte, NC; and a brother James Baldwin Salisbury (Susan) of Camarillo, CA. He was predeceased by a sister Mary Salisbury Hale in 2019.
In accordance with Bob’s wishes there will be no calling hours or service. He will be laid to rest in the family plot in Oakwood Cemetery. There will be a party to celebrate his life on Sunday, Oct. 17, from 2 – 5 p.m. at Onondaga Golf and Country Club in Fayetteville. Anyone whose life Bob touched is welcome to attend. Please be vaccinated.
In lieu of flowers, hug someone you care about. Contributions may be sent to the Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison Street, Syracuse, NY everson.org/donate/ or the Onondaga Historical Association, 321 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 13202 cnyhistory.org/donate/.
