Ames F. Giordano

Obituary

WWII Vet Worked on Manhattan Project

Ames F. Giordano, 88, passed away peacefully at home June 19, 2012, surrounded by his family and caregivers. He was born June 16, 1924 in Newark, N.J. to Rose and Ames Jordan.

Ames married his beloved wife of 65 years, Madeline Cecere, in 1947, designed and built his dream home in West Orange for his three children, and travelled to Bermuda, Italy, and his favorite New Mexico where he rode his horse “Thunder” during WWII. In his retirement years, he enjoyed playing golf with his Alpha Phi Delta fraternity brothers (the “Magnificent Seven”).

Ames’ teen year interest in radios, his education in electrical engineering, and Army training led to his integral part in the war effort, his contributions to early television technology, and medical imaging electronic devices.

He enlisted in U.S. Army Reserves 12/4/1942 and in 1943 when called to active service he was assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program at University of Illinois, and Virginia Military Institute. Stationed in Los Alamos on the Manhattan Project with the Army Corp of Engineers, he installed and operated radio frequencies in a shelter 6 miles from the first atomic bomb test, July 16, 1945. He received a commendation from General Groves and J. Robert Oppenheimer who stated he “assisted valiantly in the installation and maintenance of communications for the test shot.” On the 50th anniversary of the A-bomb he was interviewed on CNN, where he recollected the blast he witnessed was “brighter than 10,000 suns.”

After earning his degree in Electrical Engineering in 1947 and Masters Degree in 1953 from Newark College of Engineering, he worked for DuMont Labs, designing and testing the earliest televisions. He then was Chief Engineer on U.S. Navy projects at I.T.T. Nutley, N.J. Ames was granted many patents for his research at I.T.T. and had papers published for I.E.E.E.

He was an Engineering Consultant for several companies before joining Lockheed Electronics, Warren, N.J. where he designed aircraft instruments. He formed American Laboratories and American Data Labs, designing and marketing a number of products, including consumer Geiger counters, microphones, and FM radio test equipment. He retired from Johnson and Johnson Medical Products.

He received a commendation from the township of West Orange in 1970 for his work with the Township Council in drafting its first cable TV ordinance.

Ames is survived by his wife Madeline, son Robert A. Giordano, married to Gail, daughter Rosanne Giordano Juergens of Centennial, Colorado, and son Paul V. Giordano and Lynda Marut; grandfather to Robert M. Giordano, and Trevor D. Juergens of CO, surviving siblings Theresa Perna, and her late husband Pat, Robert Jordan and wife Agnes, and many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his sister Dolores and her husband Oliver D’Amato.

Everyone is invited to attend the memorial mass at St. Joseph’s Church, 44 Benvenue Ave. W.O. Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 9:30AM followed by the committal service at Gate of Heaven Cemetary, 225 Ridgedale Ave, E. Hanover, N.J.

Please omit flowers. In his memory, please make donations to St. Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center, West Orange, N.J.