Robin Guayasamin Salerno

Robin was born on Sept. 17, 1956 in Hamilton, NY to Guido Guayasamin and Sherry Lee (Clark) Guayasamin. She lived her toddler years in North Collins, NY before moving to Lily Dale, NY in 1964. She attended the Cassadaga Valley Central School system and graduated in the Class of 1974. After CVCS, she matriculated at SUNY-Fredonia and graduated with BA in Music and an MFA in Performance. After Fredonia, she relocated throughout the country — Dallas Metro area; Palo Alto, CA; Webster, NY; Clarence NY; Philadelphia metro and finally settling in Mukwonago, WI – working mainly in business administration positions throughout the years.

From her earliest years, with her smile and energy, she could light up any room no matter how small or large. Robin could read the room, and let her personality shine. Combined with her passion, zeal, sense of fun and strength of personality, Robin was born to perform — small wonder to anyone who knew her. From grade school onwards, Robin was a perennial honor roll student, sang in choruses, played musical instruments and was in every single music or opera she could. She adored musicals and Puccini, performing in dozens of musicals, operas and recitals while at SUNY-Fredonia, where she became a classically trained soprano. Even when she decided not to pursue a career in performance, Robin still sang throughout her life, often with small gigs, choirs, solos, weddings or two, up until a couple of years before her passing. She simply wouldn’t miss any opportunity to share her gift of performance with others, no matter the request. There was nothing quite like her singing — one never forgot it.

Other than her late husband and two children, Robin loved horses. Anything horse was a totem to her throughout her life. She owned her first one at thirteen and throughout high school. Enduring life’s interruptions of college, relocations, children, mortgages, etc. – when she and her late husband Donald

moved to Wisconsin with their two children, she was finally able to renew the love affair: a farm was purchased and five horses quickly filled the barn, along with other animals on the farm. While her children were growing up, fun time Romper Room chaos was common in her household when her children, their friends and a house full of pets all got together – which was most of the time. But of the farm animals, it was horses which were her long term, loving companions, delighting her until her passing.

Robin had a deep faith in Spiritualism, being a sixth generation Spiritualist. Following her mother’s family’s generational history, in her 50s, Robin became a medium. She served a number of Spiritualism churches in NY and WI, and held development classes. Robin used her mediumship, her artistic talents as well as her animals to help hundreds over the years, to connect with both themselves and their loved ones in the hereafter.

Robin was married to Donald B. Salerno, of East Meadow, NY, who predeceased her in 2011. She and Donald had two children, surviving her: Taylor Chapman (TC) Salerno of Madison, WI and Mekenna Guayasamin Salerno of Mukwonago, WI. She is also survived by her mother, Rev. Sherry Lee Calkins, Lily Dale, NY; her brother, David (Christine Lenhardt) Guayasamin, Fredonia, NY; two nieces: Ryann Guayasamin, Milton, VT; Olivia Guayasamin, Sydney, NSW, Australia; and a nephew, Niall Guayasamin, Fredonia, NY; along with dozens of extended uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws on all sides, on two continents. Her father, Guido Guayasamin, predeceased Robin in 2012.

Private celebration of life by family and friends will be held at a later date and time. Remembrance donations should be made to a local ASPCA – American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If you hear a song from any musical, or an opera or even see a horse, please send a good thought Robin’s way – and you’ll remember her smile.