Stephan Salisbury, 77, of Swarthmore, retired longtime senior cultural writer for The Inquirer, essayist, and author, died Saturday, July 20, 2024 of lung cancer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Stephan Percy Salisbury was born March 20, 1947, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He went to boarding school in Connecticut and earned a bachelor’s degree at Columbia University’s Columbia College in 1969 and a master’s degree in 1974.
He had an early wide world view and protested against the Vietnam War in 1968. He worked for a while as a young man at the New York Times, publishing companies in New York, and Daily Variety in Los Angeles before joining The Inquirer.
He married artist Jennifer Baker in 1989, and they had a daughter, Mollie, and a son, Nathaniel. They lived in Philadelphia and then Swarthmore, and stole away every summer to vacation in Cape Cod.
He favored tweed jackets, colorful sweaters, and eye-catching socks, and his low-key demeanor prompted a former colleague to describe him as “cheerfully gloomy.” He liked to watch baseball games on TV, sit quietly with his cats, read, and check in on the news often.
“He had a wonderful lighthearted and witty silliness,” his son said. His daughter said: “I will miss his insight and humor, his understanding, and his gentle kindness.”
In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Salisbury is survived by his brother, Michael, a granddaughter, and other relatives.
A celebration of his life is to be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103.