Plan for the Future
Arnold M. Giordano, 94, of Springfield, passed away on July 27th, 2019. He was born January 28th, 1925 to Giuseppe and Guliette Giordano, in Newark, NJ on January 28th, 1925 and raised on Johnson St in Newark NJ.
On September 23rd, 1951,he married the love of his life Marie “Dolly” Cuozzo, who he dearly missed everyday since her passing. They are now reunited, happily and together again in our Lord’s embrace.
He is survived by his five adoring children: Sandra Giordano, Marilyn DePrimio, Arnie Giordano, William Giordano and Joseph Giordano; his cherished grandchildren Danielle and Nicole DePrimio, Francesca, William, Mia and Bella Giordano, Joseph and Anthony Giordano; and his sister Nancy Callella, who was one of nine siblings.
Arnold Martin Giordano was a good man. A good man is an admirable description, except in this case it’s not enough. Arnold was a man of family and a man of God. He grew strong in his faith and gave glory to God. He was a parishioner of St. James the Apostle Church, where he attended Mass every Sunday..
Arnold joined the Navy at 18 to stand for up for and proudly defend the country he loved on the aircraft carrier the USS WASP CV-18 in World War II. In military service, his lung was compromised when his ship was bombed. Locked in the engine room full of black smoke, he and his fellow sailors kept the engines up and running throughout the battle earning him an accommodation and an honorable discharge.
After service, he returned home to Newark and married the love his life, our mother Dolly, and raised five kids. Not limited by having one lung, he worked 50+ hours a week. He started a career as a maintenance person and truck driver for a television production company. He would go above and beyond in his capacity employment. Arnold drove a production truck through a snow storm to a Knicks game. When he arrived, he learned the crew was missing one television camera man. His employer gave him an opportunity to be a television camera operator for the game, and after that night he was behind camera for the rest of his career. His career included many television shows (Miss Universes Pageant, The Merv Griffin Show, Barbara Streisand in Central Park, the Tony Randel Show, Kate and Ali, The Search for Tomorrow, The Guidinglight, and Sesame Street), movies and more. Among his highlights was the Frazer vs Mohamad Ali Championships Fight, and his favorite, the video of Marilyn Monroe, singing Happy Birthday Mr. President to John F Kennedy (in which he was the only camera man).
Working those long hours, he was able to buy a vacant wooded plot of land in Springfield with a dream to move his family out of Newark to a beautiful suburb. Starting his dream house, he built the footing himself and poured the foundation with the sometime reluctant help from his children. He was his own general contractor on a 4,000 sf house doing much of the work himself, and with certainty, if he had both lungs, he could’ve built the entire house himself. Upon completion, he moved his family from Newark to Springfield; where he resided for the next 45 years and the remainder of his life.
As a young man, Arnold belonged to neighborhood association known as the Pacific Street Loafers in “Down Neck” Newark. Even at the age of 94 Arnold would still drive himself down to Newark to meet with some friends every Wednesday and Friday afternoon.
Arnold loved to build, engineer, and craft. He was an exceptional woodworker and carpenter. He loved Popular Mechanics and Popular Science magazines. He loved horse racing and enjoyed spending Saturday afternoons in his box seats at the finish line of Monmouth Park Racetrack.
Arnold Martin Giordano was a strong moral man with unmatched work ethic and love for his family and independence. Arnold was a fighter, 41 years after the War, the collapsed lung inside him became infected and in 1986 he endured a 3-hour operation to remove it. He survived that operation and after a long recovery was back building decks and patios for his home, while providing for his family. In 1999, he had a quadruple bypass, and that BARELY SOLWED HIM DOWN. He quickly recovered and spent the next 17 years working around his house, tending his lawn, and spending time with his grandchildren and his winters in Florida. Arnold provided for himself right to the end of his time, at age 94, still driving, cooking his own meals, doing his own laundry, and caring for himself. He was supported by and spent days and nights with his five children and eight-grandchildren to his last day, with a clever mind, quick wit, and sharing love with his family.