Joseph Harris Saling II

Joseph Harris Saling, II, was born on July 25, 1946, in East Liverpool, Ohio to Joseph Harris Saling I, and Carol (nee Copestick), and peacefully passed away on April 10, 2026, after about 5 years of living with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife and kindred spirit, Sandy McDowell, in Charlotte, North Carolina. They were partners for 37 years and married for 32, loving, enjoying, and supporting each other through the peaks and valleys of life.

With his first wife, Linda, he had 3 talented and loving children: Joseph Harris Saling, III, (Robin Nobrega) of Derry, New Hampshire; Jason Lawrence (Pam Madeiros) of Santa Rosa, California; and Belinda Carol Parry (David) of Charlotte, North Carolina. He had 5 grandchildren: Nicholas, Kylie, Josephine, Genevieve, and Elizabeth. He is also survived by 3 younger brothers: Jerry (Cyndy) of Orient, Ohio; Jim (Scarlett) of Delaware, Ohio, and Jeff (Karen) of Manassas, Virginia; 2 sisters-in-law: Cindy Preston (Steve) of Jonesboro, Georgia and Holley Baumgartner (Adam) of Huntington, West Virginia; and 6 nieces and 4 nephews. (His nephew, Brad Preston, died in 2020.)

Joe was the valedictorian of the first graduating class (1963) at St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, OH. He was a lifelong Buckeye fan—starting as an usher at Ohio State football games when he was a cub scout—throughout his undergraduate and graduate education—and long distance from every state where he lived thereafter.

Joe was a gifted and widely published poet of both form and free verse, including his collection A Matter of Mind (FootHills Publishing 2004) and poems and short stories in The Raintown Review, The Formalist, Poet Lore, Carcinogenic, Bacopa Literary Review, Ohio Journal, and Birmingham Poetry Review. His poetry collections included Letters to Caroline, which expressed the challenges of his divorce, and The Moses poems. Two other poems he considered among his greatest accomplishments were “The Writer’s Wife” and “The Partridge, Parts I and II.”

He directed writing centers at St. Anselm College, Marshall University, and Mass Bay Community College and was known for his dedication in helping students at all levels and across disciplines discover their beliefs and theories and improve their ability to communicate them in writing. For many years he worked as a freelance writer and editor, specializing in health care. One long-lived project was as the managing editor of OnCall, a magazine for nurses and other allied health care professionals published through the Boston Globe. He was also an expert and advocate of health literacy.

Joe’s humanity drew him toward invisible, undervalued people, whom he treated warmly and with genuine interest. He had a spark and gentle charm that was apparent to everyone and a deep integrity that made him an honest and loyal companion.

Joe liked to let loose and dance, play the piano, make eggs pickled in beet juice, and eat peanut butter buckeyes and donuts. He loved going to symphonies, plays, parks and gardens, and museums, especially art museums. A true renaissance man, Joe dabbled in acrylics, enjoyed taking photographs of flowers and birds, improvised restful new age-type melodies on the piano and jaunty wails on the harmonica, and left an unfinished blues opera about John the Baptist.

There will be a casual celebration of life for Joe’s family and closest friends on Saturday April 18 in Charlotte to share joyful memories through storytelling, song, and conversation, with space for reflection and grief. Please share your memories and thoughts with us.