Gov. Mourns West Orange Legend Who Died Of Coronavirus In April – West Orange, NJ Patch

WEST ORANGE, NJ — In the words of one of his colleagues, Joe Suriano was “a rich man in every way it matters.”

During a recent COVID-19 breifing, Gov. Phil Murphy offered a heartfelt tribute to Suriano, a retired teacher and coach at West Orange High School. Suriano passed away from complications related to the coronavirus in April.

After meeting with Suriano’s family members, who offered the governor some key insight into his life, Murphy paid tribute to the educator’s contributions to his hometown – which proved nearly too vast to list.

According to Murphy, Suriano was a “legend” who deserved every accolade he achieved over his distinguished career. It wasn’t a mystery why Suriano ended up teaching at WOHS, he added.

“Joe was a West Orange native, a state high school track champion in the 100 meters, and an all-American in college,” Murphy said. “He started his teaching career at West Orange High in 1969 and would remain a fixture there for a few years, 46 in fact, retiring in January of 2016.”

Murphy continued:

“For his commitment to his students, he was named Teacher of the Year not once or twice, but three times and as a coach, his West Orange Mountaineers Track and Field teams won a total of seven league championships, and he earned All-Area Coach of the Year honors an amazing 16 times, League Coach of the Year eight times, twice recognized as Essex County Coach of the Year. He coached five athletes who would go on to garner All-American status, and three who met Olympic Qualifying standards. For all of this, there is little wonder that the track and football field at West Orange High was dedicated as Suriano Stadium in his honor. His legacy will also live on through the Suriano family scholarship.”

The governor added:

“When he retired, one of his colleagues said Joe was and I quote him, ‘A rich man in every way it matters.’ And for Joe, even more than his students, that wealth was measured in his love for his family. He leaves behind his wife of 50 years Marlene and their two daughters, Stephanie and Nicole, and I had the enormous honor … of speaking with all three of them. My wife Tammy had sent Marlene and Nicole a note right after Joe passed a few months ago, and it was an honor for me to speak with all three. He also leaves his son-in-law, who is Nicole’s husband Joseph, and he also leaves two granddaughters, Avery and Dylan. He also leaves many other extended family members, friends, and of course thousands of grateful students and student athletes. Joe was 73-years-old. Thank you, Joe, for your years of dedication to the youth of West Orange. You made your hometown and all of us in this state very proud. May God bless and watch over you.”

Although the beloved educator may be gone, his memory will live on, West Orange school administrators noted. A scholarship in his name was founded in 2016, and will continue to provide funds for graduating WOHS seniors for years to come.

Watch Murphy’s tribute and see a video from Suriano’s retirement ceremony below.