Joseph John Milano

Joseph J. Milano, age 89, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 21, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Joe was born and raised in East Rutherford, NJ and was the oldest of three sons to Joseph and Margaret Milano.  At a young age, Joe learned to play the piano.  Joe played the piano by ear, and although not being able to read music he still performed in his school assemblies and school music ensembles.  Playing the piano was a talent that stuck with him throughout his entire life.  While attending East Rutherford high School, he performed as a soloist on the piano and with the high school musical ensembles.   He was also a star of the Varsity Track and Field Team at East Rutherford High.  After graduating with the class of 1950, Joe found work quickly but in 1952 he felt a calling to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Army.  While in the US Army, Joe was a communications specialist and was educated in the field of electronics.  Joe served honorably and proudly in the US Army from 1952 until 1954.

After being honorably discharged from the US Army, Joe put his skills in electronics to work and opened up a business with his father called J&J Radio and TV Repair.  Joe worked closely with his dad for about four or five years.  Joe and his dad closed up shop and Joe accepted a position at General Electric in Caldwell, NJ where he was employed for nearly fifteen years.  Joe left General Electric to accept another position with Raytheon, a defense contractor company based in New Jersey which manufactured weapons, and military and commercial electronics.  Joe remained employed with Raytheon until his retirement in 1994.  Retiring did not stop Joe from working, he then rekindled his piano skills and spent his weekends performing demonstrations of various digital pianos at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne.  

In 1956, a friend of Joe’s named Richard Ceres brought Joe to his house to see if he could fix a small television that Richard’s family owned.  When Joe arrived at the house he met Richard’s sister, a young attractive lady named Ruth Ceres.  Joe fixed the television, but before he left, he invited Ruth to come and see him play the piano at a local charity event the following Saturday.  Ruth agreed to join him and the two hit it off great.  Joe and Ruth started dating and as fate would have it they fell in love and were married on April 27, 1957 at St Joseph’s Church in Carlstadt.

After getting married, the newlyweds settled in Carlstadt where they remained until 1963.  During their time living in Carlstadt, they welcomed the births of both of their daughters, Kathleen and Karen.  In 1963 the family moved to Wayne, NJ and have been there ever since.

Aside from playing the piano, Joe enjoyed working with antique radios.  He was a long time member of the NJ Antique Radio Club (NJ ARC) in Wall Township for many years.  He was a devoted New York Giants and New York Yankees fan.  Joe was also a connoisseur of fine cigars, cognac, and old movies.  He loved watching Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Humphry Bogart movies and treasured watching the Turner Movie Classic channel with his wife Ruth.  Joe also treasured spending time with his younger brothers ever since he was a child.  As a young man, Joe, his brothers, and his dad built a fishing cabin in Trout Creek located in upstate New York.  There, Joe and his family would gather for the weekends to have parties and go fishing.

Apart from all of Joe’s talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Joe than providing for and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.  Joe and Ruth have cherished an amazing sixty-four years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Joe was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him.

Joe is survived by his wife Ruth (nee Ceres) of Wayne, two daughters; Kathleen Burke and her husband Joe of Oak Ridge, NJ, and Karen Jameson and her husband Michael of Kinnelon, NJ, two brothers; William Milano and his wife Wanda of East Rutherford, NJ, and Frank Milano of South Jersey, four grandchildren; Rhianna Montanez and her husband Christian of Hamburg, NJ, Kelly Burke of Oak Ridge, NJ, Keri Jameson of Kinnelon, NJ, and Joey Burke of Oak Ridge, NJ, two nieces; Sue Wallace and her husband Bob, and Tina Milano, and two nephews; William Milano and his wife Kathleen, and Frank Milano, Jr.  Joe was predeceased by his sister-in-law Sandra Milano.