Jose Angel Franco Nanawa

Jose "Bibong" Angel Franco Nanawa, 84 of Keyport passed away Tuesday August 5, 2025 at Monmouth Medical Center of Long Branch.

He was born in Paco, Manila, The Philippines to the late Restituto Zubieta Nanawa and Concepcíon (Franco) Nanawa. The family then moved to Lucban where Jose grew up in a town co-founded by his ancestors and attended Lucban Academy. Eventually, he made his way to the U.S. territory of Guam where he enlisted to the U.S. Army.

Jose served The United States Army during the Vietnam War Conflict in the Signal Corp., after which being Honorably Discharged.

Soon after, he started his career in the airlines industry by joining Air Micronesia, formerly a subsidiary of Continental Airlines, then shortly joined Pan Am where he made an impression with managers. One of them took on a role at TWA & highly encouraged Joe (as he was commonly called at work) to join him there. During this time, he met Milagros through a family friend & the two married a year & a half later. His work at TWA allowed them to travel to many exotic locations such as Paris, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Israel, and New York. While still living in Guam, they had their first child, Amandamarie & soon after relocated to Kansas City, MO to work at TWA's Midwest airport hub Kansas City International Airport in Missouri. While living in Kansas City, Missouri, they welcomed their second child James Anthony.

His work in materials management (managing distribution of materials that came in to serve and supply aircraft components and cabin steward supplies and food as well as assist ground crew) at the airport had the family move from Missouri to San Francisco, CA & eventually to New Jersey where he worked out of Newark Liberty International Airport & JFK International Airport.

When TWA merged with American Airlines, he continued to work out of Newark Liberty International Airport until retirement from American Airlines in 2007.

Jose was an avid sports fan. He loved the Kansas City Chiefs - lived through the bad years & the Super Bowl Championship years - professional NBA & NCAA men's basketball. He would take the family to Kemper Arena in downtown Kansas City, MO to watch (then) Kansas City Kings & players such as Otis Birdsong play shooting guard. In 1989, he watched Seton Hall play their way to the National Championship round & was ecstatic when both his children were accepted & graduated from Seton Hall University. He will always be remembered for being a fun & easy going person. He loved his family very much & enjoyed traveling whenever the opportunity arose.

Jose was the oldest of 8 children & is predeceased by his siblings Bernadette (passed at childhood), Wilhelmina Franco Nanawa Tomlinson and Yolanda Franco Nanawa Stepka.

He is survived by his beloved wife Milagros (Nepomuceno) Nanawa; his loving children Amandamarie N. Nanawa of Keyport and James Anthony N. Nanawa also of Keyport; his siblings Clarissa Franco Nanawa Daniels, Carmencita Franco Nanawa, Enrique (Rick) Franco Nanawa, and Cristina Franco Nanawa Keifer, as well as cherished Brother-In-Laws Laverl (Tom) Tomlinson and Jay Daniels and Sister-In-Law Elva Nanawa.

Friends and relatives are invited to a visitation for Jose on Wednesday August 13, 2025 from 4PM - 8PM at Day Funeral Home located at 361 Maple Place Keyport, New Jersey 07735 and again Thursday August 14, 2025 9:15 AM at the funeral home for a 10AM Mass of Christian Burial at Saint Joseph Church (Our Lady of Fatima Parish) of Keyport.

Mausoleum entombment will follow at 11 am at St. Joseph's Cemetery of Keyport.

To offer the family of Jose your condolences, flowers or for directions to Day funeral home please do so at their website. https://www.dayfuneralhome.com/

In lieu of flowers, please visit Jose's Memorial page on Ever Loved to offer your support.