Michael A. DiRuggiero

Michael A. DiRuggiero, age 93, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, February 4, 2024. He had lived in Wayne for over fifty years.

Mike was the youngest of Michael and Lucy (Mastrodomenico) DiRuggiero’s five children. He was born at home on the kitchen table at 1104 East 23rd Street in Paterson, in 1930. He loved to tell people that he had his tonsils removed on that same table five years later.

Michael grew up in Paterson and attended Eastside High School where he graduated with the Class of 1948. With no clear idea what to do next, one of his teachers encouraged him to take an entrance exam for Newark College of Engineering because he was good in math. He scored well on the exam, earning a place at NCE (now NJIT), earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1951 and 1961 respectively. 

After getting his bachelor’s degree, Mike worked for various corporations, including the Atomic Energy Commission’s Savannah River Project, before he was drafted during the Korean War. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army teaching special electronic devices operation and repair from 1953 to 1955. Upon an honorable discharge, he took a job with Bendix Corporation in their Flight Control and Test Systems Divisions. Mike’s career as an electrical engineer and senior project manager with Bendix spanned thirty-eight years before he chose to retire in 1994.  During those years he worked on many fascinating projects including the first transistorized autopilot system used in the first supersonic bomber and many commercial airplanes. He was particularly proud of his work as project engineer for the three-country (USA, England, France) design and development of flight control systems for the Concorde supersonic transport. 

Mike was an enthusiastic dancer and it was at a CYO dance where he met his future wife, Gloria Kenez. He encouraged her to join the PasClif Ski Club, and they began going on ski trips together and forming strong friendships with other members of the club.

Gloria and Mike got married on May 10, 1969 at St. Cecilia Church in Englewood, NJ. They initially moved into an apartment in Hackensack where they welcomed their firstborn Catherine. Soon after they purchased their own home at 14 Sherwood Street in Wayne where little Cathy was joined by her brother Michael. Mike and Gloria raised their family there and remained in that home for almost fifty years before Gloria sadly passed away in 2018. Mike remained in the home for four more years before moving to BrightView Senior Living community in 2022.   

Mike and Gloria loved to take summer family vacations, each year to a different destination. Some of the family’s fondest memories are of packing into the blue Chevy station wagon and heading off on long road trips. 

Around the house, Mike enjoyed tinkering on fix-it projects including working on his cars. He loved watching his Yankee games and he fancied himself a pretty good stock market analyst and personal investor. His love of dancing never grew old – the family’s home was filled with the sounds of classic old jazz or big band music playing in the background. Living all those decades so close to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne, he and Gloria were faithful parishioners who found great solace and joy in their Roman Catholic faith. 

Mike was a truly down to earth, kind and gentle man. He was a great listener, with people often expressing how much they enjoyed talking to him. 

He cherished the blessings of family and his close, life-long friends who, to Mike, were like literal brothers and sisters.

Mike was the beloved husband of the late Gloria (Kenez) DiRuggiero, blessed in marriage for 48 years until her passing in 2018. He was the loving father of Catherine “Cathy” Kirk and husband Damon of Ramsey, and Michael E. DiRuggiero and wife Tara Bandman of Dobbs Ferry, NY: Adoring grandfather of: April Kirk and fiancé Alec Graf, Paige Kirk, Myles DiRuggiero, and Oliver DiRuggiero; great-grandfather of Carson Graf; and dear uncle of numerous nieces and nephews. Mike was also predeceased by his two older brothers and two older sisters: Anthony “Tony” DiRuggiero, Ann Appaluccio, Madeline Ward, and Dominic DiRuggiero.   

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Those planning an expression of sympathy in Michael’s memory are asked to consider:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Memorial Processing

501 St. Jude Place

Memphis, TN 38105-9959

Please indicate that your gift is in memory of Michael DiRuggiero