Obituary of Joseph Anthony Guarracini

A loving and generous brother, husband, father, grandfather and uncle who cherished his family, Joseph Anthony Guarracini, 102, of Lawrenceville NJ passed away peacefully on February 3, 2022 at Hamilton Continuing Care Center. He was a long time resident of Lawrence Township. Joe was born on January 25, 1920 in Brooklyn. Joe graduated from Brooklyn Industrial High School in June 1936 where he studied automobile repair. He continued his technical training at the Straubenmuller Textile High School in Manhattan completing a 4 year curriculum in Machine Construction in 2.5 years in January 1939 collecting 2 more diplomas and 2 more achievement awards in machine work and mathematics. Joe also achieved a near perfect score on the NY State Regents exam. In 1939 Joe attended night school at Cooper Union School of Engineering in Manhattan while working full time during the day at the Tork Clock Company in Mt. Vernon NY. In June 1944 Joe was drafted into the Navy. He was selected for radar school where they provided 10 months of math, radio and radar electronic instruction training to become an Aviation Electronic Technician. His first assignment was at the Mercer Field in Trenton (now the Trenton Mercer Airport). Joe was assigned the task of installing secret radar equipment into planes and flying with the pilots to test the equipment while they were making bombing runs over ships in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey. His second and final assignment was Johnsville Naval Air Station northwest of Philadelphia where he was part of a group that was flying a Hellcat fighter airplane by remote control from the ground. Supposedly these planes were to carry cameras to photograph the Bikini’s atom bomb explosions. After leaving the Navy, Joe continued his education enrolling at the University of Oklahoma in February 1947 and graduating with a BS degree in mechanical engineering in August 1948. Joe moved to Washington DC taking a job at the National Bureau of Standards Labs where he worked from 1949 until 1956. While working in DC, Joe received his MS In Physics from Georgetown University in 1954. Seeking better opportunities, Joe took a job with RCA Camden in 1956 moving to the Hightstown location in 1957 where he remained until transferring in 1962 to RCA Labs in Princeton. In 1960 he moved his family to Lawrence Township, where he has resided ever since. After 28 years with RCA Joe retired in 1985. During this time Joe received 3 outstanding achievement awards and 10 patents. Joe loved dancing and took lessons at Arthur Murray and taught all his sisters how to dance. He also loved music especially big bands like Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller. Joe was known to play his 33 records regularly up until he died. Joe loved to swim and joined the Princeton YMCA where he taught his children how to swim. Joe swam regularly into his 80’s at a local community pool. Throughout his life Joe enjoyed reading books and the Wall Street Journal. One year Joe read 64 books! During his later years, Joe was regularly seen walking up and down the street with his cane. Joe was the son of the late Joseph Guarracini and Louise Aprea Guarracini. He was predeceased by his brother Louis and sister Judy Foy. He is survived by three sisters: Marie Cimino, Theresa Altieri and Rita White; his loving wife of 68 years Rosemarie Marchese Guarracini; three daughters: Ann Kosco and her husband John; Mary Guarracini and her husband Ron DiPrinzio; Joan Guarracini and son Paul Guarracini and his wife Holly Ferrell; his grandchildren Peter DiPrinzio and Andrew DiPrinzio and many nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 11 AM at the Church of St. Ann, 1253 Lawrence Road (Rt. 206), Lawrenceville, NJ. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held on Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the daily chapel at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Princeton Family YMCA at www.princetonymca.org.