Joseph F. Giordano

We are saddened to share that our father passed away peacefully on February 2nd 2023.

The first born of Italian immigrants on November 29, 1926, Joe was a fascinating individual with a truly amazing life story. He was incredibly curious and intrigued by the human story while
committing his life to public service.

Joe grew up the oldest of three children in Bronx, New York, attending Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and then James Monroe High School graduating in 1944.

During World War II, Joe first served with the Merchant Marines sailing both the Pacific and the Mediterranean seas. At the end of this enlistment, he joined the Army Air Corps where he served till the end of the war. Returning home Joe completed his studies at Long Island University.

In 1948 he married his teenage sweetheart, the former Marian A. Gawrychowski, and they moved to Knoxville Tennessee where Joe received his Master’s Degree in Zoology from the University of Tennessee.

In 1951 Joe joined the U.S. Public Health Service traveling extensively and moving his family multiple times while in their service.

Joe joined the former Center for Disease Control (“CDC”) in 1962 as a leader in the Field Service Unit for the Tuberculosis Control Program and relocated to Atlanta in 1963 to join the leadership team at CDC.

From 1967 to 1982 Joe traveled the globe as the Director of the Foreign Quarantine Division for CDC. He initiated major changes to modernize policy and procedures at all U.S. quarantine stations (land, air, and sea) as well as visa medical organization and procedures at embassies worldwide. Subsequently, he retired in 1982 as Assistant Director of Programs for Infectious Diseases.

Joe and Marian relocated in 1982 to New York City where Joe assumed the role of Deputy Commissioner for Management and Operations for the New York City Department of Health.

After completing three years of service in New York, Joe and Marian returned to Atlanta in 1985 and Joe joined the Carter Center as Director of Global 2000 an international health initiative of President Carter. Among other initiatives, Global 2000 works to eradicate dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in Africa and Asia.

Then, in 1990, Joe retired for the last time after leading an effort to create a foundation for CDC.

During his public service, Joe received a number of awards and citations including a Distinguished Service Award presented by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Joe was married to Marian for 54 years until she passed in 2003. He is survived by his son Vincent Giordano and his wife Nicky Sensale and Vincent’s three children: Michael Giordano and his wife
Tatiana; Gregory Giordano and his wife Marcela and their son Luca; and Christopher Giordano and his wife Sydney. He is also survived by two daughters: Cynthia Giordano and her husband Mark Chaney and their daughter Natalie Chaney and late son Joe Chaney; and Carol Gawrychowski and her partner Julie Moore. Joe is also survived by his devoted companion Jean Norris.

Joe’s Funeral Mass will be held Saturday February 25th at 2:00 pm at St Thomas Moore Church in Decatur.

His remains will be interred at Andersonville National Cemetery later in the Spring.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Foundation of Wesley Woods (wesleywoods.org/foundation) in appreciation for the work that they do to support senior citizens including seniors at the Wesley Woods Towers where Joe enjoyed the last ten years of his life.