Ann Salvo

Ann Salvo, beloved mom and grandma, nee Carta Ann Britton but known prior to marriage to most friends and family as Ann Badgett, passed away surrounded by family on August 31, 2021.

Preceding Ann in death:
Husband: John Bernard Salvo
Son: William A. (Billy) Salvo
Mother: Zella Bee Rawdon-Badgett
Father: Carter H. Britton
Beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

She is survived by

Four Children:
Annemarie Salvo-Lujan (husband Clyde, deceased), of Mt. Washington KY; Robert B (Bobby) Salvo and wife Judy of Horse Springs NM; Rebecca J. (Becki) Salvo-Jaramillo and husband Sam of Albuquerque NM; Susan (Susy) Salvo-Wendt of Pinetop AZ and Mark Wendt.

Ten Grandchildren:
Rebecca Lujan-Vallejos and husband David of Shelbyville KY;
Julia and William (Liam) Salvo of Albuquerque NM, Dominic R. Salvo and wife Leyla of Roswell NM; Dylan Salvo and wife Jessica of Celina TX; Johnny B. Salvo II of Las Cruces NM; Benjamin J. Melendrez of Edgewood NM; Jeremy M. Melendrez of Albuquerque NM; Kristian M. (KC) Chavez and Beanna J. (Bee) Chavez of Albuquerque

Ten Great Grandchildren:
Elijah Vallejos, Isabella Edwards, and David Clyde Edwards of Shelbyville KY; Bella, Allie, Nolan and Levi Salvo of Celina TX;
Kadee and Ryenn Salvo of Roswell NM; Chad Mortensen of Albuquerque; Makaiya Chavez of Albuquerque.

Sister: Linda Bee Badgett Massey and husband Perry of Albuquerque NM;
Nephew: Michael C. Massey and wife Daphnie of Borger TX;
Great niece: Lauren M. Massey of Borger TX;
Niece: Kelly R. Massey-Buck of Monterey CA;
Aunt: Betty J. Smith (husband Ed deceased) of Albuquerque NM.

Also: Sam Salvo of Santa Fe NM; Annie and Steve Weybrew of Raton NM, Mattie Salvo of Pecos NM and many other beloved in laws.

Ann was born March 31, 1933, a Great Depression baby, in Quitman, TX, to Carter Britton and Bee Rawdon Britton. That marriage ended when Ann was very young. She was still very young when Bee married Wilburn Dow (Bill) Badgett and Ann was given the name Badgett which appears on most of her school and other records prior to her own marriage. Though she was never formally adopted by her stepfather, most of her friends and classmates in high school and college knew her as Ann Badgett.

Because of scarcity of jobs during the depression years and other moves during wartime and immediate post WWII, Ann attended many different schools in the early years. She graduated from Lovington (NM) High School where she attended from 8th through 12th grades. Her family, classmates, neighbors, and teachers can testify that her amazing musical talent, piano and voice, was evident there as she was selected for elite performing groups and other honors including being an honor student.

Upon graduation from high school, she went to Highlands University on a music scholarship and earned a B.A. in music and a M.A. in piano. She was active in many campus activities including theater and musical productions, especially opera, where she was more often than not the star. To the dismay of her voice coaches, she was also a varsity cheerleader which led to her meeting and marrying her husband of 51 years, John B. Salvo, the varsity quarterback on the Highlands football team. Ann and John married while they were still in college. Many friends she made in high school and college would remain lifelong friends.

Following graduation from college, Ann and John embarked on impressive teaching/coaching/administrative careers for the next twenty-five plus years while raising their family of five children. Over those years Ann taught music, blessing children and teens and winning numerous awards in West Las Vegas, Santa Rosa, Bloomfield, Tularosa, Moriarty, Santa Fe, then again in Moriarty where they retired from the NM school system. Then there was one last school for a year at a reservation school in Ganado AZ before they returned to Moriarty and finally Albuquerque.

To this day students from those schools remember her, how much they admired her, how she had positively influenced their lives and made a difference for them.

Then there were intermittent but short-lived different careers running a contracting business and managing a Super 8 Motel where they were part owners with their son. And Ann kept her hand in music, song writing, arranging, singing, and accompanying church choirs and her own private performing group. Ann even had a ball playing the piano at the Santa Fe Downs Jockey Club for a few weekends.

In addition, her creative spirit led her to study art and she took up oil painting producing treasures that can be found in many homes of her friends and family. She always seemed to be able to find time for those friends and family over the years.

Due to COVID concerns, a graveside service for family will be held at the Mountain View Cemetery in Moriarty NM, time and date yet undetermined.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Ann's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at stjude.org.