Michael Romano ’52

n Saturday, March 27, 2021 Chaplain, Lt. Colonel (USAF ret.) Michael (Mike) Romano, loving husband and father of three children, passed away at the age of 93. Mike was born on May 5, 1927 in Harrison, NJ, the only child of Guy and Mary Gailey Romano. Mike’s mother died at an early age and he grew up under the tutelage of his Scottish grandmother and the members of the North Reformed Church of Newark. At the height of World War II Mike joined a number of his close friends and enlisted in the US Navy at the age of only 17. He was based in Georgia and Texas awaiting deployment when the war thankfully ended. Mike liked to point out that he served three years, three months and three days in the Navy. Upon discharge Mike was influenced by his Reformed Church pastor to attend the church affiliated Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 1952. It was at Hope that he met Cynthia, who would become his wife of nearly 69 years. They married the day after Mike’s graduation and that fall moved to New Brunswick, NJ where Mike entered the New Brunswick Theological Seminary. He was ordained as a Reverend in 1955. Mike’s first assignment as pastor was to The Reformed Church of Plainfield, NJ where he would serve for ten years. During those years Mike and Cynthia welcomed their three children, Stephen, Philip and Cynthia. In 1962 Mike accepted a calling at Addisville Reformed Church in Richboro, Pennsylvania where he would serve a three year pastorate. Mike thought fondly of his time in the Navy and that love of military service prompted him to join the US Air Force Chaplaincy in 1965. During his tenure in the USAF he had assignments to bases in Arkansas, the Philippines, Myrtle Beach, SC, Thailand, Rome, NY, Bentwaters, UK, and Dover, DE. Mike retired from the Air Force in 1982 at the rank of Lt. Colonel. After active duty Mike continued to serve the church from the pulpits of numerous small Presbyterian churches throughout the coastal region including Westminster Presbyterian Church in Conway, SC, Tabor City Presbyterian in Tabor City, NC and McDowell Presbyterian in Greeleyville, SC. Mike preached his last sermon a month before his 90th birthday. In addition to Cynthia and his three children, Mike is survived by six grandchildren, Michael, Valia, Matthew, James, Jack, and Nash. Mike was also blessed with two great-granddaughters, Roslyn and Caroline. Mike was an avid dog lover and owned many over the years. Sparks and Koda now have a good home with Philip. Above all, Mike was grateful to God for many years of life, good health, happiness and family.