Kenneth L. Salmon

Kenneth Lynn Salmon of Fox Chapel died on April 6, 2026 at the age of 84 following a battle with cancer. Ken leaves his wife of fifty-eight years, Bette Hale Salmon. Ken and Bette raised three children: Michael Hale Salmon, Stephanie Salmon Dwyer (Dan), and Keith Thomas Salmon (Dotti Doorman). Ken was the proud grandfather of Seamus Dwyer (“Bo”), Major Dylan Dwyer and Finlay Salmon Dwyer.

Ken was born on October 10, 1941 in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University Hospital to Marialys Thomas and John Albert Salmon. After spending his early years on the family farm in Columbus, Ohio, Ken’s family moved to Rosslyn Farms in Pittsburgh, PA. The permanent move to Pittsburgh did not sway Ken from his fierce loyalty to the Cleveland Browns, attending countless games over the years. In true Pittsburgher fashion, however, for many decades Ken wisely invested in season tickets to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While attending Shady Side Academy for his high school years, Ken earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball, football, and tennis. Blessed with a beautiful singing voice and a love of music, Ken proudly sang in the Shady Side Academy choir. No stranger to hard work or adversity, Ken worked his way through Shady Side on academic and financial scholarships before graduating in 1959. Despite being recruited to play football at Princeton, baseball was Ken's true love. The baseball coach at Rollins College took notice of Ken’s exceptional talent and intelligence on the mound and recruited him to become a starting pitcher for the Tars. At Rollins, Ken played both basketball and baseball for four years. Ken was honored as an All-conference pitcher in 1961-63, most valuable pitcher on the championship teams of 1962 and 1963, and was a member of the 1962 NCAA Atlantic Coast Championship team. While at Rollins, Ken served as the President of Sigma Nu fraternity, and enjoyed regaling his family with stories of his cherished time in Winter Park, FL where he often returned to enjoy tennis and support the Tars baseball program. After graduating from Rollins, Ken went on to play professionally for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ken was honored to be inducted into the Rollins College Sports Hall of Fame in baseball and basketball in 1978. Ken then fueled his love of baseball in a different fashion, serving as legal counsel for Pittsburgh Pirate ownership for many years, including at the height of franchise success, during and after the most recent World Championship of 1979.

During his stint in the MLB, Ken attended Duquesne University School of Law in the off-season, earning his juris doctorate in 1967. It was at Duquesne where Ken and Bette met. He often said that he asked Bette out for a date to get even with her for standing up his friend. He said he finally got even - he married her. Ken joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1967 and was stationed in Albany, NY following his training at Quantico. After his time with the FBI, Ken accepted an offer to join the law firm of Kirkpatrick, Lockhart, Johnson and Hutchison in Pittsburgh as a litigator, becoming a partner in 5 years. He was admitted into the prestigious Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. In 1989 Ken and Joseph Katarincic formed the firm of Katarincic & Salmon where he remained until his retirement. Ken was an outstanding trial and appellate attorney for over 35 years.

An excellent tennis player, Ken played throughout his life after learning from his beloved coach, Norm Copeland, on the Rosslyn Farms Community Tennis Courts across the street from his childhood home. He qualified for and played in the 15 and under USTA national junior championships. He often could be seen on the court with friends and family at Fox Chapel Racquet Club and at USTA league events, winning more than his share of championships. Ken always looked forward to annual trips to The US Tennis Open with Bette and his family in New York and with friends to the Cincinnati Open.

Those who knew him always enjoyed his encyclopedic knowledge of sports, his witticisms, quips, his adventures (and misadventures) in sports and law and his spontaneous observations so full of dry humor. We will deeply miss our husband, father, grandfather and friend.

A service will be held at the Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home, 100 Center Avenue, Aspinwall, on Tuesday, April 14th, at 7:00 p.m. It will be presided over by Father Paul Johnston. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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