Obituary of Salem Toney

Dr. Salem (Sam) Toney of West Roxbury, formerly of Melrose, passed peacefully into life eternal on May 9, 2025 surrounded by his family. Born on March 15, 1929, he was 96 years old. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mike and Rahme (Haddad) Toney, and his siblings Samuel “Sub”, Afduke (Shamey), Sandra “Kay” (Solomon), Louis, Shahood “Shuf”, and Ayoub Toney. Sam was the beloved husband of the late Norma (Abood) Toney, the dear companion of Priscilla Deban, and the loving father of Vivian Toney, M.D., the late Linda Toney, Sandra (Toney) Myatt and her husband Leonard, and Elaine (Toney) Dreyer and her husband Don Nelson. He leaves an enduring legacy of love as dearest Giddu to his much-adored grandchildren Lucas Dreyer and his wife Kati, Paul Dreyer and his partner Samantha, Paige Myatt and her partner Chuck, and Angeli Myatt and her partner Trevor, and to his cherished great-grandchildren, Brandon, Trevor, Audrey, Elyse, Addison and Lincoln Dreyer. He touched the lives of many loving cousins including Sam Haddad (Connie) with whom he shared a deep and lifelong friendship, as well as nieces, nephews, great-nephews and great-nieces. Everyone must now seek new sources of information for Toney family history, Basra card game rules (even if those rules changed from time to time in his favor), and stock market recommendations. A native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Sam earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University). Upon graduation, he began a 40-year metallurgical engineering career in the Medium Steam Turbine Department at General Electric in Lynn, Massachusetts. While engineering was his vocation, his true passion was his family. Together with Norma, who passed in 2010 after 56 years of marriage, they raised four daughters and filled their lives with piano lessons, sports, summer camps, Sunday trips to Dairy Kone, and an ever-vigilant focus on Academic Excellence. But more than this, he created great family summer memories including annual vacations first to Cape Cod, then to Woodloch Pines, and always a Labor Day trip back to Bridgeville and New Kensington to visit the Abood and Toney families. Sam grew excellent tomatoes and carefully nurtured a transplanted grapevine through more than fifty growing seasons. He was a skilled grapeleaf roller and we will miss his mastery of neatly tucked-in ends. He was a distinguished and active member of St. George Orthodox Church of Boston to which he gave not only his devotion, but also his time and his talents. He could often be found serving in a variety of capacities on numerous committees over the years. He was a vital member of the Building Committee, President of the Parish Council, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and Founder of the 21st Century Endowment Fund. Sam was blessed to spend the past 14 years with his dear companion Priscilla, enjoying the simple pleasures of the golden years – traveling for vacations and family celebrations; marveling at their ever-expanding family trees; enjoying visits to and from grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and discussing the stock market after Sam’s daily review of the Wall Street Journal. Priscilla was often Sam’s co-pilot as they’d make excursions to Costco for a favorite hotdog or to Bubbling Brook for an ice cream treat. When a medical setback occurred in 2022, Priscilla gave Sam tender care for his body and soul and provided him with a home in which to spend his final days with family in comfort, faith, and love. All funeral services will be held at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church 55 Emmonsdale Rd. West Roxbury, MA. On Tuesday May 13, 2025, friends and family are welcome to attend visitation at the Church from 10:00am-11:00am and the funeral service at 11:00am. The Funeral will also be live-streamed on the Church's Facebook page "St. George Orthodox Church of Boston, MA". Mercy Meal will immediately follow. Trisagion Prayers of mercy will be offered at 12:00 noon on Monday, May 19, 2025 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bridgeville, PA. Visitation in the Church beginning at 11 a.m. Interment immediately following at St. George Cemetery, 3230 Washington Pike in Bridgeville. Sam’s final resting place will be beside his beloved Norma on the same hillside where they met at the Syrian Grove in 1953. As the burial is out of state, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in honor of Salem Toney to the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church of Boston 21st Century Fund or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. And in the words of Giddu, “LOVE TO ALL! GOODNIGHT!!”