Patrick Martin Salsbury

Patrick Martin Salsbury passed away on March 5, 2026. A lifelong Topeka resident, he was born to Albert “Blue” and Marie Decker Salsbury on March 18, 1946. He grew up in a loving home, learning the honor and value of hard work from his father, a skilled carpenter and tradesman, while sharpening his quick wit and playful streak among his sister Annie and brothers Chuck, Gene, Joe, and Mike. Pat graduated from Topeka West High School in 1964 as part of the school’s first full four-year class. True to his spirited nature, he and a small group of friends rode horses to the final day of their senior year.

After serving with the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California, Pat returned to Topeka, completed his undergraduate studies, and graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1974. That same year he joined the Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer law firm, where he practiced for the rest of his career. Colleagues and adversaries alike respected him as a fair, courteous, and honest litigator who brought an unbiased perspective to every matter. His professional integrity was matched by a quick, dry humor that left a lasting impression on those around him. He served as managing partner of the firm from 2007 to 2014 and was named Boss of the Year. A dedicated member of the Topeka Bar Association, Pat held roles as president, treasurer, and secretary, and received the Liberty Bell Award in 2016, the Honorable E. Newton Vickers Professionalism Award in 2025, and the Kansas Bar Association Professionalism Award. He took special pride in his membership in SOABs.

Pat found great joy in connecting with others through his service on the Board of Directors for American Home Life Insurance Company, where he and his wife Vicki built lasting friendships, and on the American Cancer Society Board, which held deep meaning after his own successful battle with cancer. He was also an active member of the Shawnee Yacht Club, sailing his C Scow and sharing camaraderie with fellow sailors.

Above all, Pat’s greatest light shone within his family. He is survived by his wife, Victoria Salsbury; daughter Gretchen McCarter (James); son Patrick Salsbury II (Melissa); daughter Keni Johnson; daughter Lindsey Griffin (Grayling); and grandchildren Hunter, Preston and Piper McCarter, Hank and Chet Salsbury, Gregory Owens, and Troy and Case Griffin. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gene Salsbury, and son Troy Johnson. Pat cherished time with his children and grandchildren, whether on ski trips, teaching sports, working on home projects, celebrating weddings and new births, or restoring a car. He was a steady source of guidance, a master at making others believe he had every answer, and a constant source of disarming, magnetic humor that brought life to every gathering. He was deeply proud of his family and loved by all who knew him.