Joseph Aromando Jr
Member - Air Force
Joseph H. Aromando Jr. MEDFORD Joseph Henry Aromando Jr., 86, of Medford, NJ, was called home to the Lord on Aug. 21, 2020. His life was celebrated at a Mass of Christian Burial at St Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church in Medford on August 26, which was followed by a United States Air Force Honor Guard ceremony and interment at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, NJ. NJ.
He graduated from Hillside High School, where he earned All-State and All-County honors in football, baseball and track, and the Joseph Dill Award for Best Athlete, Class of 1951. He briefly attended Seton Hall University on a baseball scholarship. He later earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Trenton State College in 1975.
Joseph was a proud veteran of the United Stated Air Force. He served during the Korean War, and was stationed at Clark AFB in The Philippines. At Clark, Joseph was a boxer, sprinter on the track team that won the Far East War Theater championship and star centerfielder on the baseball team. The Newark Star-Ledger once referred to him as the "Joe DiMaggio of Clark AFB."
He later served in the United States Army Reserve and was a loyal member of Medford VFW Post 7677. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Joseph signed a professional baseball contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He later played semi-pro baseball for teams in New Braunfels, TX, and Pemberton, helping the latter win a Rancocas Valley League title. He married his best friend and love of his life, Concetta, on Nov. 3, 1957.
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During his distinguished 25-year career in civil service, Joseph was a senior flight instructor and training specialist at McGuire AFB and Naval Air Station Lakehurst, earning many awards. He also served as training director for the Internal Revenue Service, Newark District. After retiring from government service, Joseph became a successful entrepreneur in real estate and business consulting. is teams won many championships and tournaments. Joseph was a dedicated communicant and active member of St. Mary of the Lakes Church for over 50 years. He was a popular CCD teacher. He led the effort to build the Ten Commandments monument at the church and prayer garden at St. Mary of the Lakes School. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, playing for the K of C softball team until age 72. A proud American of Italian descent, Joseph was one of the first members of the Sons of Italy Enrico Fermi Lodge in Medford. In recent years, despite significant health challenges, he wrote an autobiography that is cherished by family and friends.
