Joseph Romano

Joseph Romano, 89, of Asheville, died on Friday, January 2, 2015, at the Memorial Campus of Mission Hospitals. Mr. Romano delighted in living in Asheville, meeting people and making friends wherever he would go. A native of Staten Island, NY, Mr. Romano was a son of the late Giuseppe and Rosina Emmanuele Romano. He was also preceded in death by several siblings. Drafted out of high school, Mr. Romano served his country as a radio operator for the U.S. Army during World War II in both Okinawa and Hawaii. Mr. Romano remembered his time in Hawaii fondly as it greatly impacted the remainder of his life. In October, 2014, Mr. Romano participated in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to visit the many war and veteran memorials there. It was truly a thrill for him. Following the war, Mr. Romano graduated Cum Laude from Wagner College. He then married his wife, Hildegard Erna Kretschmer on February 7, 1959, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Staten Island. Mr. Romano earned the distinction of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and was very proud of that. He worked for over 60 years in the insurance industry, primarily with New York Life as a life & health insurance agent, never officially retiring. Before moving to Asheville, Mr. Romano had been very active with the Staten Island North Shore Rotary Club. He held a deep passion for music. Whether harkening back to days in the service listening to Hawaiian music, or enjoying harmonies from "The Ink Spots," Mr. Romano appreciated a broad range of sounds. Mr. Romano had also been a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in both Asheville and Staten Island. In addition to Mrs. Romano, he is survived by his daughter, Anita Romano Borovilas and husband John, of Staten Island; son, Joseph Frederick Romano and wife Theresa, of Chicago, IL; sister, Mary Leason; brother, Jim Romano; and grandchildren, Christina, John, and James Borovilas, and Sofia and Ava Romano. A memorial service for Mr. Romano will be at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. with Mrs. Linda Saylor officiating.