John Piraino

Born in Dongan Hills, Mr. Piraino moved to Arrochar in 1952. He also lived in Castleton Corners before returning to Dongan Hills in 1962.

Mr. Piraino worked for several years as an sales engineer for Ferdon Equipment in New Jersey, retiring in 1997.

Prior to that, he worked for the Navy Supply Depot, Brooklyn, and for the Automatic Transportation Company, Newark. He was also a sales engineer for Yale and Towne Inc., where he won the top salesman award for the East Coast in 1980 and was given tickets to attend SuperBowl XIV.

Mr. Piraino joined the U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday and served as an electronics mate third class during World War II. He was stationed aboard the USS Pelemon and the USS Creon and was at Bikini Island when the A-bomb was tested there.

Mr. Piraino received his degree in engineering from the Newark College of Engineering.

He was a member of the Huttner-Pasqualini Post American Legion Post, and the Fairway Golf Club. An avid golfer, his love of golf was born when, as a child, he would walk to the Richmond County Country Club to help his father who worked there as the groundskeeper. He also worked there as a golf caddy as a teenager.

He was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Dongan Hills.

“He was just a terrific person, he loved his children, he loved his home and he loved his family. And he was one of the greatest men that ever lived and I was very happy to be married to him for 60 years,” said his wife, the former Mary McAndrew.

Along with his wife, Mary, also surviving are a son, John; four daughters, Susan Janicki, Kim Ness, Catherine Piraino and Joanne Miller; two brothers, Daniel and Ettore Piraino; 12 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be Monday from the Virginia Funeral Chapel, Dongan Hills, with a service at 10 a.m. in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp.