Maria Salerno

Maria Salerno, 90, of Wilmington, North Carolina, passed away on September 12, 2026. Born in Nusco, Italy, on May 16, 1936, Maria built a beautiful life centered on family, friendship, and bringing people together.

To Maria, everyone who walked through her door was family—and no one ever left her home hungry. She had a gift for making everyone feel welcome and loved, usually with a delicious meal and a place at her table. Maria was also blessed with a proverbial green thumb. We often joked that whenever one of our plants was struggling, all we had to do was call “Nona” to touch it, and it would spring right back to life. Maria was truly a friend to everyone she met, with a warmth and generosity that made people feel at home wherever she was. She loved to cook, but even more, she loved sharing her food with the people she cherished. For Maria, food was a way of expressing love, and her kitchen was a place where family and friendships grew.

Maria was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 43 years, Eugene, and her son, Eugene. She leaves behind her daughter, Rose, and her husband, Bill; her son, Tony, and his wife, Ann; her grandchildren, Nicole, Ryan and his wife, Lindsay, Rocco, and Jenna; and her great-grandson, Breckan.

Maria will be remembered for her generous heart, her unwavering love of family, her wonderful cooking, her magical touch with plants, and the countless friendships she nurtured throughout her life. Her absence leaves a space that can never truly be filled, but the love she gave so freely will live on in all those fortunate enough to have known her.

We will miss her dearly, but we find comfort in knowing she is reunited with both her Eugenes and all her beloved brothers and sisters. And we can just imagine them together again, dancing the tarantella in heaven—surrounded by love, laughter, and the joy of being together once more.

Funeral Services will be private. Her final resting place will be at Oleander Memorial Gardens with her husband.

In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in her Maria's memory, https://thetreesremember.com