Joseph J. Ragno, Jr., Esq., 69, died March 2 after a five-year battle with cancer.
He was born on July 21, 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland, and lived most of his youth in Baltimore County before settling his adult life in New Jersey, with the last 33 years spent living in West Milford.
Joseph graduated from John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland in 1968.
He obtained his Bachelors in Science in Engineering Physics in 1972 from Loyola University, and his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University, School of Law, with Honors, in 1984.
He served our country as a captain in the United States Army.
Joseph had a notable practice of law throughout Northern New Jersey with his office located in Riverdale.
He previously served as the Township Attorney for Vernon, Zoning Board Attorney for Fairfield, Public Defender for Bloomingdale, and Acting Prosecutor for West Milford.
At the time of passing, he was serving as the Borough Attorney for Pompton Lakes.
He was appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to serve on the District XA Ethics Committee, and he was appointed by Gov. Tom Kean to serve as a Trustee for the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital where he served for many years.
He was elected to serve on the West Milford Board of Education, and multiple terms to the Republican County Committee.
He was a volunteer attorney for the Lenni Lenape Girl Scouts and served on the finance committee for St. Joseph’s Church in West Milford, New Jersey.
Joseph was a doting, caring and loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and granduncle.
He joins his parents, Joseph and Opal Ragno, many aunts and uncles, and sister-in-law, Marguerite Sines, in heaven.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Theresa T. Ragno, daughter and son-in-law, Jessica Ragno Sprague, Esq. and Mark C. Sprague II, grandchildren, Colin and Gavin Sprague, his brothers, Eugene Sines and James Ragno, sister-in-law Debra Ragno, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Drs. Mary and Zenon Babiak, aunt, Mary Ragno, nephews and nieces, Steven Sines, Susan Johnson, David Sines, Denise Hunt, Christina Embree, Joshua Ragno, Andrew Ragno, and Joanna Illo, as well as numerous grand-nephews and nieces and close friends.
Family, friends, called on March 5 at the M. John Scanlan Funeral Home located in Pompton Plains.
A funeral mass was scheduled at St. Joseph’s Church, located at 454 Germantown Road in West Milford on March 6.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in his honor to the Wounded Warrior Project.
The family would like to thank the Chilton Memorial Hospital and Morristown Memorial Hospital staff for their effort and dedication.