Richard Joseph Santomauro

Richard Joseph Santomauro, the son of the late Caroline and Anthony Santomauro, passed away on October 2, 2022 at the age of 74. Richard was born on October 14, 1947 in Montreal, Canada and was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. As a young man, Richard was known for his sense of humor, brilliant mind, and musical talent, all of which he carried with him into adulthood. Richard also had a keen interest in science and technology, spending many nights building transistor radios (before kits were available) in the basement of his childhood home.

In 1969, Richard married Deborah Pierson, with whom he had two children, Dana DeGraff and Richard Mathew Santomauro. Richard and Deborah later separated and in 1988, Richard married his devoted wife, Joan Santomauro (nee Miller). The two married in Kona Village, Hawaii, which ignited Richard's lifelong passion for the islands. He even later named his beloved dog, Haleakala ("Hale"), after the famed volcano in Maui. The couple eventually settled in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, where they built their dream home in the Pocono Mountains. Richard and Joan had a son of their own, Giles Santomauro, and Richard also became stepfather to Joan's children, Jessica Newman and Rhett Setzer.

Richard's hobby was his profession, and his profession was his hobby.

Before microcomputers became commercially standardized, Richard designed and constructed them as an independent contractor, enabling him to start the third Computer Bulletin Board System ("CBBS") in New Jersey. He went on to teach electronics design for the Devry Technical Institute, and later served as the head product manager of Sony Electronics' Microcomputer Division. Sensing opportunity in the electronics repair and network installation market, he built his business, CES, which he later sold at peak value. He also designed and patented the ID Logic system used to digitally send song information for display on FM radio consoles. This technology won first place in the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show and was ultimately purchased by Panasonic.

In his personal life, Richard was a Renaissance man. He sang, recited poetry, played the piano and guitar, and would not shy away from picking up any other instrument to create a beautiful melody. He also loved animals, sharing his home throughout the years with dogs, cats, birds, and even a monkey! After retiring in Port Charlotte, Florida in 2013, Richard became active in the local ham radio community, teaching licensure preparatory classes for the American Radio Relay League ("ARRL") and communicating with his fellow ham radio enthusiasts using his lifelong call sign, WA2NLC.

Richard loved his family and was extremely proud of the successes of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Joan; his daughter, Dana, and her husband, Wayne; his son, Richard; his son, Giles, and his fiance, Meghan; his grandchildren, Tyler and Ashleigh; his sister, Angelica, and her partner, Mike; his brother, James, and his partner, Ileana; and his nephew, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to either the ASPCA or the ARRL.

A celebration of life service is planned for October 14, 2022 between 12pm and 3pm at the Renegade Winery in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.