John came into this world as the son of Salvatore and Emilia "Mildred" Missale on August 17, 1949, in Long Island City. He lived a big and creative life, full of music and food. Good friends and family. Engineering and innovation. And he leaves it a better place—for those who knew him and for millions who did not.
He grew up in Queens, NY, first in Bayside, and then Woodside. He participated in a variety of team sports. Learned to play the accordion. And attended Bayside School. When he began studies Brooklyn Tech High School, he discovered a deep talent for technology, opening the door for what would be a rewarding career.
But his life wasn’t all ones and zeros. John expanded his musical repertoire to piano and synthesizers in the late 1960s, playing funk and experimental music in NYC’s underground scene. Sometimes that meant redesigning the equipment to get the right sound.
He met and married Janet Starkweather, with whom he had two children. He later had two more children with his second wife, Helene Szasz.
Other things John loved: Discovery, which led him to visit nearly 60 countries. His Fiat Spider, the gateway to a life-long obsession with performance engineering. Home and family, culminating in the purchase and renovation of two historical homes, one in Brooklyn, the other in Buck’s County, PA. And wine. He was an avid collector who possessed a sommelier’s palette.
Still, technology was a major through line in John’s life. As a young dad, he majored in engineering at CUNY, landing his first post-graduate job at a start-up called Home Box Office. He went on to design the flagship broadcasting studio for CBS, and then spent 25 years at Time Warner, laying the groundwork for a cable network that became the company’s foundation for the digital age.
John made his own transition into digital with the launch of his own consulting firm, Rant Technology Inc. He subsequently held chief technology roles for Screenvision, DrFirst, WorldNow, and Microservice Edge. For the last four years, John served as a principal and senior adviser for Larsen and Toubro Infotech, Media and Entertainment Group.
It’s difficult to calculate the contributions John made for the betterment of broadcast and digital technology across numerous industries. And perhaps we shouldn’t try. Because for those who knew him well, it was his great dinner parties that he will be remembered fondly for, and the twinkle in his eyes that often meant the evening would go into extra innings.
John is loved and survived by his life partner, Eva Ledesma; sister, Benedetta Missale; four children, Kim M. Missale, John P. Missale, Daniel P. Missale, and Claudine M. Missale; and five grandchildren, Raymond, John, Eden, SyAnn, and Paige.
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