Antonino “Anthony” Miragliotta of Fredon Township passed away peacefully Sunday, March 12, 2023, with his loving wife and children by his side, after a valiant fight with a traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.
Born and raised in Passaic, he moved to Fredon in 1966 where he lived, created a loving home for his family and worked for the remainder of his life.
Anthony was a loving husband, son, father, grandfather and friend. He was a Boy Scout, Life Member of the NRA, member of the Society of Plastics Engineers and a member of the Porsche Club of America.
Anthony served in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Dix from 1964 to 1966.
He was appointed to the Fredon Township Committee in 1975 and was elected in 1976, serving consecutively until Dec. 31, 1984. From 1979 to 1981, Anthony served as mayor of Fredon and also as a member of the Fredon Township Planning Board. He was a member of the Fredon Township Board of Education from August 1990 to April 1997, also serving as president during that time.
Anthony was Mira Plastics. He was just 14 years old when his father started the company in a backyard garage, and every day after school, Anthony went straight to work helping his father get this new company up and running. From this humble beginning in Passaic to a larger building in Paterson to its current location in Fredon, Anthony tirelessly devoted every day of his life to build, grow and sustain Mira Plastics. Though he worked seven days a week, he always came home to have dinner with his family, often returning back to work since production ran 24 hours a day.
Prior to his illnesses, Anthony was a brilliant man who could diagnose problems, fix anything that broke and solve complex industrial issues, all with the utmost patience and a calm demeanor. Anthony was awarded US Patent #5,193,693 on March 16, 1993.
Anthony’s wife, children and grandchildren could not have had a better husband, father and grandfather. His love and devotion to his family was infinite, steadfast and sure.
Married for 56 years, his love for Josephine never wavered. Their love was the foundation of the family and demonstrated what a lifelong partnership can be. Anthony always made sure his kids were snug in their beds and sweetly pulled up their blankets, so they were warm. He wanted to know about their days, asking what they learned in school, made sure they didn’t watch junk TV, reminded them not to take garbage from anyone, taught them things like how to read a map so they could always find their way. When he helped with math homework, he had the answers faster with a pencil than his children did with a calculator. He lived and taught the values of hard work, dedication and always being true to yourself. As much as he loved Josephine and his children, his love for his grandchildren topped that. They were angels in his eyes and always brought pure joy to his heart and a big smile to his face. He also made sure that even if he had to leave a little bit of dinner on his plate, that there was always room in his stomach for dessert!
Anthony is predeceased by his father, Antonio Miragliotta, and his mother, Mary Monaco Miragliotta.
He is survived by his loving wife, Josephine Miragliotta. He is also survived by his son, Anthony P. Miragliotta and his wife Fransiska; his daughters, Maryann Doherty and her husband Mark, Tina Miragliotta and her fiancé Steve Snyder, and Michelle S. Miragliotta; his sister, Annette Farinella and her husband Morris; and six grandchildren, Maddie, Meaghan and Matthew Doherty, Luke Dykstra, and Antonia and Antonino Miragliotta. Anthony also leaves behind his Aunt Grace La Monaca, numerous loving nieces and nephews, cousins and his former son-in-law, Owen Dykstra.
The family would like to especially thank June Redondo and Sharon Suriano for their loving, compassionate care of Anthony over so many years. They also want to thank the many nurses, aides and team members on Bristol Glen’s Paulinskill Trail unit, including Lala, Shela, Madelein, Dulce, Sally, Karen, Linda, Marilou, Jenn, Scott, Florinda, Jimmy, Corrine, Drew, Laurie, Danielle, Henry, Jayne, Diane, Doreen, Maria and the Rev. Dr. Carl.
Visitation was held March at the Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home, 156 Main St. (Route 206) Newton. The funeral began at the funeral home on March 18 and was followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Newton. Entombment was at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Cemetery, Newton.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that memorial donations to be made to St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church or the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MichaelJFox.org).
Online condolences may be expressed through www.iliff-ruggierofuneralhome.com