Philip A Piro

Philip A. Piro of Moorestown, NJ passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at the amazing age of ninety-seven. He is predeceased by his wife, Carolyn, and is survived by his seven children, Phil (Marion), Lisa (Anthony), Steve (Linda), Michael, Mark (Amy), Paul (Jane), and Carolyn; numerous grandchildren and a great-grandchild. He lived an incredibly full life, starting in White Haven, Pennsylvania. His mother and father were immigrants from Prussia and Italy, respectively. He was proud of his humble beginnings. He began working when he was just seven years old and didn’t stop until April 2022. He served during World War II as a Marine. He was a gunner and a radar specialist who supported the Iwo Jima and Okinawa operations. He was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1946 and continued in the reserves until 1949. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in 1950 on the GI Bill. He was a proud Marine and supported both Villanova University and veterans programs his entire life. It is inarguable that the best day of Phil’s life was February 4, 1948, when he met Carolyn Faust, who became his wife in 1951. They traveled the world together from Egypt to China, though Italy was his favorite. They were married for sixty-seven years. Upon graduation, Phil started at RCA’s newly formed Missile and Surface Radar Division where he became the program manager and established the world-wide radar tracking network for the National Air and Space Administration. He and his team were actively involved in NASA’s early satellite development programs that eventually put a man on the moon. While at RCA he was awarded a Sloan Fellowship at MIT. He and Carolyn moved their six children to Boston for a year, while he achieved a Master of Industrial Management. Phil became vice president and headed the development of the Navy’s Aegis Missile System now installed on over 45 destroyers and cruisers throughout the world. Other programs included the development of over-the-horizon radar technology with the British Air Ministry. After Boston, Phil and Carolyn moved their now seven children to Los Angeles, California. In 1969, they returned to the East Coast, settling in Moorestown, NJ. Moorestown was Phil's home and he became very active, serving on the school board, working with MEND, with the Ys Men, the Chamber of Commerce and the Moorestown Breakfast Rotary Club. He loved Moorestown From 1970 until 1991, he was President and COO of Holman Enterprises in New Jersey, which was engaged in automotive retail, fleet leasing, and parts remanufacturing. He served as Board Member Emeritus with the Fred Jones company from 1991 until April 2022. He was an active member of The Union League of Philadelphia and the Hearth Club table since 1986. His family will remember him for his generosity, cooking amazing seven fish dinners on Christmas Eve, his ongoing battle with squirrels, his vegetable garden, his sense of adventure, his sense of humor, and the many family cruises and vacations he shared with his children and grandchildren. He truly was an inspiration for embracing life with love, ambition, and grace. He is greatly missed by his family and many friends. A funeral mass will be held at 12 noon Sat. Oct. 29th at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 42 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ. Interment will take place in Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions may be made to Samaritan Hospice, https://samaritannj.org/giving/donate-now/ or by mail, c/o Samaritan Gift Processing Center, PO Box 71425, Philadelphia, PA 19176-1425