Jerome C Lomurno

Jerome Carmen (Jerry) Lomurno, age 78, passed away on Sunday, January 12, 2025. In his final days he continued to be surrounded by the love of family and friends. Jerry was born September 30, 1946, in Philadelphia, PA to Frank and Marion (née Schmerfeld) Lomurno. He was the namesake of his great uncle, Marine Corporal Jerome Carmen Lomurno, who was killed in action on Iwo Jima in 1945. Jerry is survived by his wife of 58 years, Michaele (née Slovak), sons Jerry (Sharon), Joel (Miranda), Michael (Tracy), daughters Joanne Damato (Robert) and Maryellen Goodfellow (Ryan), grandchildren Lauren McAtee, Rebecca Lomurno, Rachel Lomurno, Jake Lomurno, Justin Lomurno, Dean Damato, Luke Damato, Kathryn Goodfellow, Cincy Lomurno and Charlotte Lomurno, great-grandchildren Axel Vojacek and Maya Jaranovik, his sisters-in law Mary Kruczynski, Dorothy Hersey (David), his nephews Richard Glazewski, Matthew Glazewski, Michael Steffen, his niece Kathryn Steffen and, finally, his sixteen year-old little puppy, Jingles Joseph. Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Frank & Marion, his in-laws, Michael & Dorothy Slovak (nee Amato), his sister-in-law, Geralyn Steffen and his brother-in-law, Robert Kruczynski. Jerry was raised in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia and graduated from Frankford High School. After high school, Jerry proudly served stateside in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, as a Crew Chief for radar maintenance. He famously eloped with his high school sweetheart, Michaele, when she graduated from Little Flower High School one year after him. She snuck away to Biloxi, Mississippi where he was first stationed. Jerry & Michaele and Michaele’s younger sisters have loved telling this story over the years. On their 20th wedding anniversary, they finally had their dream wedding. With their entire family and all their friends by their sides they had a storybook vow renewal with a full Mass at Saint John the Evangelist Church followed by a reception atop the Hotel Bellevue. Afterwards, the happy couple embarked on a European vacation that included passage on the Orient Express. They raised their 5 children in Moorestown, New Jersey where all their children and two of their grandchildren attended Our Lady of Good Counsel grade school. Jerry was active in the PTA and loved planning the school’s annual Gold Raffle which always took place at Garden State Racetrack in the Phoenix Room. He was also active with Catholic Charities in the Trenton Diocese and was honored as the recipient of the Light of Hope award in 1998. He coached his sons in baseball and bonded with his daughters through Indian Princesses. When he drove carpool, he was known for putting the FM station on scan and asking the kids to play “name that tune.” He never changed the station when his favorite, Elvis Presley, was singing. He had a greatest hits collection of dad jokes and a delightful deep and jolly laugh. He had even more fun being “Grandpop” also known by some of the kids as “Goop.” He enjoyed taking them out on his boat or to a Phillies game, playing cards with them or just hanging out by the pool or teaching them to play pool. He loved boating and owned multiple power boats over the years. He took his family and friends on grand adventures and loved being on the water. He was known for bringing his “Jerry bread” to the beach where good friends would enjoy the picnic lunch he’d provide. He was just as happy manning his Weber grill in his beautiful backyard grilling pepperoni and sausage, burning steaks and hot dogs, and feeding the kids and grandkids as soon as they appeared. Most pool days started with hot dogs and ended with steak. Food was also a favorite topic all the time and any time. Jerry was known for telling everyone that all food was good for you and that “your body takes from it what it needs.” He always knew the good places to eat in any town. Once he even told everyone the best meatloaf he ever had was at Chicago’s Midway airport. For Jerry, it didn’t get better than a White House cheese steak or a slice of Santucci’s or Charlie’s pizza from the old neighborhood. Jerry instilled in his children a “Don’t Quit” attitude and displayed the poem proudly on his desk and shared copies of it with his kids and his grandkids. He always believed in hard work and a will to win. A fan of Robert Frost poetry, he always said he “had miles to go before he could sleep.” He was a lifelong Phillies fan and would often tell stories of going to see games at Connie Mack Stadium when he was a kid. He became a Phillies season ticket holder in 1970 and was one of the longest consecutive season ticket holders in history, spanning more than 50 years. His family even surprised him with a 70th birthday celebration in the Diamond Club. His love of baseball and the Phillies was a core part of his life. He played baseball whenever he could in a men’s league. One of the best weeks of his life was spent at Phillies Dream Week 1991, a birthday gift from his wife. Many of his friends and family have spent time watching his video cassettes from the week and have his collectible baseball card. He was coached by one of his baseball idols, Larry Bowa. His daughter and grandson have proudly worn his beloved Dream Week jersey to multiple Phillies playoff games for good luck. If you meet a friend of Jerry’s, then they will likely tell you about the time he took them and their kids to a Phillies game or out on his boat or over to swim in his pool or another kindness or fun story of his generous spirit. Jerry was also a pioneering engineer and entrepreneur with a career that spanned decades in the test and measurement industry. He started his career with General Electric as a Microwave Measurement Specialist and Calibration Lab Supervisor. He joined Eastern Instrumentation in 1970 and became president of Eastern Instrumentation of Philadelphia in 1972. During his 50-year tenure at Eastern Instrumentation, Jerry contributed significantly to the company’s growth and success. His key accomplishments included persuading RCA engineers to specify the microwave components he represented into the Aegis radar defense system at RCA/Moorestown; selling communications equipment for the Viking mission to Mars and other space programs at RCA’s Astro Electronics Division; developing strong contacts at the U.S. Navy Ship Parts Control Center resulting in numerous Navy contracts; serving as a consultant to multiple manufacturers on product and market development and expanding the company’s customer base through strategic sales initiatives. In 1996, Jerry founded Eastern OptX, which has become the global leader in microwave delay lines using fiber optic technology. He holds multiple patents including one earned as recently as 2023. An industry trade article about Jerry noted his optimistic approach to life which enabled him to view challenges as opportunities requiring strategic planning and organization. He credited his competitive nature as a driver for his enduring success. Jerry was ever the optimist. He was always known to be generous and positive. He did not seek recognition for his acts of kindness. He frequently commented that it did not take much extra effort to be kind. It was certainly his hallmark. He also often gave the advice that you can never go wrong always trying to do the next right thing. He repeatedly told people in his final days that they should not feel sad for him. He lived a wonderful life. A man of strong faith, he was looking forward to seeing the face of God. Mass of Christian Burial Friday 10:30 am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 42 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ. Viewing Thursday eve 4- 6 pm at The Lewis Funeral Home, 78 E. Main St. Moorestown, NJ. Entombment Lakeview Memorial Park, in Cinnaminson. NOTE: In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Jerry Lomurno can be made to Philabundance, https://secure.philabundance.org/site/Donation , Tunnel to Towers Foundation https://t2t.org/donate/ Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. 42 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ 08057

Jerome C Lomurno

September 30, 1946 - January 12, 2025