Michael A. Sarracino

After a brief battle with cancer, Michael Anthony Sarracino passed away at home on June 21, 2020 at the age of 99 yrs., 9 months.

Michael Anthony Sarracino was born September 1, 1920 in Moonachie, NJ to Anthony and Maria Germana Sarracino. He was the first of four boys the Sarracino’s would have.

During his early years, he attended Moonachie Grammar School #2 through the eighth grade in a single room, multi-grade school house, graduating in 1934 with twenty-two other students in his class. He went on to East Rutherford High School, graduating in 1938. During his childhood, Michael enjoyed playing baseball, being a member of Boy Scouts and working a variety of jobs in farming and construction.

As the threat of World War II loomed, Michael proactively joined the U.S. Coast Guard where he served from 1942 through 1946. The Coast Guard Station where Michael was assigned was on the Potomac River, just below Washington D.C., with the task to patrol and protect the U.S. capital waterway access. When President Roosevelt died in April 1945, Michael was chosen as one of only two Coast Guard members to represent that branch of service to march in the President’s funeral procession.

Michael was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in 1946 and took advantage of the G.I. Bill attending Western State College in Colorado before transferring to Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He graduated in 1949 with a BA degree in Economics and thereafter returned to Moonachie, New Jersey.

In 1950, on a “blind date” arranged by Michael’s sister-in-law Alice, Michael met Frances Kellenberger of Clifton NJ. A match was made and the two were married on September 2, 1950 at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Clifton NJ. They moved to Wayne, NJ shortly after building their home (literally) and began their family together. The family would soon grow to four children, with Michael W., Peter, Amy and John following over eight years. Michael continued his education attending New York University and graduating with a Master’s Degree in Economics in October 1955. He worked in sales while attending NYU and continued in sales working for Wollen Chemical and Hi-Brett Chemical until his retirement at the age of 83.

Michael had always been very civically minded. While in Wayne, he joined and was an active member of the Elks Club Lodge for many years. Michael was very involved with the Roman Catholic Church even at an early age (having served as altar boy, then Junior Holy Name Society Treasurer in 1936) and he continued that involvement with Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Wayne. During his nearly seventy years as a Wayne resident, Michael served on and participated in numerous church committees including Holy Name Society, Church Decorating Committee and Funeral Ministry. He attended mass regularly through February 2020 (only stopping due to the pandemic) and made a long list of friends throughout his years at OLV.

During his “retirement” years, Michael continued to remain busy in other ways, taking several cruises, trips to both Oregon and California, all with his wife Frances, as well as enjoying his family, children and grandchildren still in New Jersey. What kept Michael most busy, however, was his volunteer work at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Wayne where he logged more than 5,000 hours of volunteer service over sixteen years of volunteering in the MRI department. During that time, he came to know many of the other volunteers as well as staff at St. Joseph’s and he established many friendships there. He also enjoyed a very active social life, going to lunch with friends several times a week. He had every intention of living to at least 100 years old.

Michael was a devoted husband and dedicated father who loved gardening, boating on Greenwood Lake (or anywhere for that matter), the NY Yankees, life-long learning, staying busy through volunteering, service to the church and trying to make a positive impact on other people’s lives. His near century of wisdom, humorous mannerisms, easy smile, laughing blue eyes, willingness to help humbly and without self-promotion, fair-mindedness and “constant motion” will be sorely missed by his family, friends and others whom he touched.

Michael was predeceased by his wife Frances, his brothers Lou and Albert and sister-in-law Alice. He is survived by his brother Aurelio and wife Marie and sister-in-law Phyllis, his four children Michael and wife Gail and their daughter Christine, Peter and his daughter Ashley, Amy and husband John and their children Linda and Stefanie, and John and wife Julie and their daughter Kelsey and two great-grandchildren Lana and Sydney.