John Giordano, 47, was strong presence in his community Date of Death 9/11/2001 By Kathryn Carse Advance staff writer Sunday, 09/30/2001 John J. Giordano was the quiet guy in the back who didn't say much, but had a strong presence, felt in his family and his community. A love of music and environmental studies were in his life that was devoted to his wife and children. The 47-year-old Newburgh, N.Y., resident and Staten Island native was writing his master's thesis in environmental science at Bard College. It was an interest that had motivated him to transfer to the Haz Mat (Hazardous Material) 1 Special Operations Battalion, Engine 37 Battalion II, 3rd Division. "He enjoyed the science behind the job, analyzing so you knew the material to use to fight the fire before you got to the fire," said his wife, Roxann. It was a specialty that brought him to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. He has been missing ever since. A classical guitarist who both studied and taught guitar, his guitar playing halted recently because of arthritis in his thumbs. His solution to continuing his love of music, an upright grand piano, sits in his house, delivered less than a month ago. His daughter who had been studying clarinet has decided to study piano instead. Her elementary school is going to close and the school chorus will sing at Mr. Giordano's memorial. His oldest son is a saxophone player. A man who always had two or three jobs going, the father of three's plans included teaching in high school or college when he finished his master's degree and retired from the Fire Department. In the meantime he was his wife's "right hand," helping run their nursery school and day care business which served 100 children. Doing all the running around and maintenance for her, he also kept things running smoothly at home, having friends over, helping with homework and providing rides. At his children's elementary public school, Horizon on the Hudson, his favorite trip, not surprisingly, was a field trip to the Black Rock Forest. His interest in the Hudson River informed his thesis and strengthened his family's ties to the area they live in. Raised in Grant City, he graduated from St. Christopher's Elementary School, Grant City, and in 1970 from St. Peter's High School. In the early 1960s he lived in the Clifton/Stapleton area. He began his college studies at the College of Staten Island and continued them at Brooklyn College, where he received a bachelor of science in geology. When he married in 1983, he and his wife, the former Roxann Andre, lived in West Brighton and the Rockaways until 1986, when they moved to Newburgh. Bartending was one of his many jobs, one that led to meeting his wife when he was working at Brandy's. Teaching guitar to children was a job that was very close to Mr. Giordano's heart. He also worked as an aide at the South Beach Psychiatric Center for 2 1/2 years before he joined the Fire Department. His first assignment was with the former Engine 17 in lower Manhattan. When the house closed in 1990, he was assigned to Engine 37 in Harlem. In January of 2000, he was moved to the Haz Mat Battalion. Mr. Giordano was a member of the Fire Department's Holy Name Society and Columbian Association. He was a parishioner at Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Newburgh. Mrs. Giordano related that she recently visited the remains of the World Trade Center and left a dozen red roses with one yellow one, a photo of the family and a card for her husband, giving her word that she would raise the children the way he would want. She has assured the children that their dad is with them. In addition to his wife, Roxann, surviving are two sons, Jonathan and Jordan; a daughter, Jessica; his mother, Katherine O'Conner, and his sister, Kathy Chorman. A memorial mass is scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church.

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