Noel Steen Salmon

Noel was born on September 8, 1943 in Freer, TX, to Joel and Ruby Harvill Salmon. He spent 5 1/2 years in the Marine Corps and became a rescue helicopter pilot in Vietnam assisting in 250-300 missions. In his memoirs, Noel thanked God that the Marines always sent out at least 2 helicopters together on each mission for backup safety. One Marine remembered Noel over 50 years after their service together when he wrote, "He was a great man! And a great Marine!" Noel was honorably discharged in 1968 as a Captain.

Noel and Pat Dupre Salmon were married 56 years and had 4 children and 3 grandchildren. He was protective of his family, a wonderful husband and father, an avid reader, a writer, and a patriot who loved his country. His personal books were alphabetized, numbered, and color coded. Noel had a dry sense of humor and enjoyed taking of pictures of things he found amusing in nature. His workshop was organized wall to wall, except for his workbench! Noel was a gardener and frequently planted new, young pecan trees that would later replace the old ones. He enjoyed the challenge of building useful things and was good at it. He discovered that he liked to cook and was generous with his recipes.

Noel was a problem solver, a teacher, an excellent marksman, and loved his land. He also loved music and played the guitar.

Noel died on August 12, 2025 at 3:47 pm. He was an extraordinary man and is missed more than words can possibly convey.