John P. Kosanke

1930 - 2021

John P. Kosanke
May 10, 2021
Miami,, Florida - John P. Kosanke passed away peacefully on May 10, 2021 in Miami, Florida at the age of 90.
John is survived by his four children: daughter Barbara McLoughlin and her husband Diarmuid of Brattleboro, Vermont; son John (J) Kosanke and his wife Denise of Long Branch, New Jersey; son Bernard Kosanke and his wife Ann of Miami, Florida; and daughter Joan Cesarano and her husband Nicholas of Miami, Florida. He was Granddaddy to Allison, Jaimee, Ryan, Aja, Sean, Christopher, Alexander, Joseph, Kelsey and Laura and Great-Granddaddy to Michael, Lillian, Laila, Ava, Joseph and Cole. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Joan (Hooker) Kosanke in 2017.
John was born June 18, 1930 in Staten Island, New York to Bernard and Ruth Virginia (Sherry) Kosanke. He graduated from New Dorp High School in Staten Island, in 1948. John married his high school sweetheart, Joan, on December 9, 1951. They enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage.
He lettered in football, baseball and basketball in high school and played for Staten Island's legendary New Dorp Queens football team following his graduation. After a stint in the Navy, where he served as an air traffic controller during the Korean War, John volunteered as a coach and served on the board of directors, board of governors and as president of the Staten Island Pee Wee Football League.
He had a long and successful career in the newspaper industry ...including positions as Executive Vice President of Newspapers First, President of Knight Ridder Newspaper Sales and Advertising Director and Vice President of Marketing at the Miami Herald. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and served on the Miami Crime Commission.
He was an avid sports fan who especially loved the New York and San Francisco Giants and the New York Football Giants. He enjoyed playing golf and traveling, especially with his beloved wife Joan.
John was a natural leader and a force to be reckoned with in sports and business - respected and loved by his colleagues and friends - and cherished by his family. He fought to the end and we will miss him dearly. The love he shared with his wife and family will never die.
The family would like to thank the staff at the East Ridge Retirement Community and Vitas Hospice for their care. We especially thank Jeanine Gedeon who cared for John and Joan for the past eight years and has become one of the family.
Visitation in Miami will be at Stanfill Funeral Home from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Friday, May 14, 2021. There will also be visitation at Hanley Funeral Home on Staten Island on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 - followed by a funeral mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace church in New Dorp, Staten Island. Burial will follow at Moravian Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to The National Parkinson Foundation at www.parkinson.org