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Joseph Milano

Born Jan. 19, 1941, Joseph “Joe” S. Milano grew up in West Haven in the era of the Savin Rock Amusement Park, or, as Joe and his friends called it, “the Rock.” One of six children with two busy parents, Joe’s happiest childhood memories were the days he spent down “at the Rock” and in the neighborhood with his fellow Rock Rat, Bart Moran, and buddy Rocky Esposito. Joe would tell stories for years about those days — stories that had everyone simultaneously laughing and wondering how no one got seriously injured.

Joe worked in his father’s fruit store on Campbell Avenue throughout his childhood and young adult years. In the early 1960s, Joe joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Panama in the Canal Zone for two years. After being discharged, Joe returned to West Haven, where he met his future wife, Anita, a Spanish teacher. Joe admired Anita’s education and hard work, and despite Anita’s initial hesitance, he won her over, and they were married on March 24, 1968, the beginning of 56 happy years together.

After swinging a hammer for a few years for another builder, Joe took a risk, bought a building lot with a small loan, and built his first house. The house quickly sold, and Joe started Milano Development in 1972, the year after his daughter, Jen, was born. Joe’s son, Dave, followed in 1973. Joe worked hard, six days a week,12 hours a day, to make his business a success. He spent over 50 years building almost 300 homes and dozens of commercial properties that he owned and operated along the Shoreline. When asked, Joe described his job as a builder, but once said that his life’s work was to create communities.

Despite devoting so much time to his business, Joe still found time to coach Jen’s and Dave’s baseball teams, practice basketball with Jen and Dave in the driveway, keep his backyard looking perfect (nothing pleased Joe more than a good “edge” between his lawn and garden beds), and cheer on the Giants on Sunday afternoons in between naps. And every evening when he came home from work, he wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist and kissed her while she laughed.

Beyond his fulfilling work and happy home life, Joe was a devoted member of his community, serving as the President of the New Haven Home Builders’ Association and volunteering on several boards and commissions in Guilford. Notably, Joe served on the Standing Building Committee in Guilford for over two decades, many of those years as Chairperson. He spent countless hours overseeing the construction of the Guilford Police and Fire Stations and several school building projects with the same concern as if they were his own building projects. Joe could often be found at the job site, making sure that everything was being executed to the highest degree of excellence. Joe was especially proud of the fire station’s new basketball court for the first responders’ use during their downtime. The court became a magnet for community youth, and years later, Joe’s own grandchildren would play hoops on this same court.

Education was extremely important to Joe, and he regretted that he was not able to go further in his own education. He encouraged and supported his nieces, nephews, children, and grandchildren to go as far as they could in their schooling. Nothing made Joe prouder than to see his children graduate from college and graduate school, with the exception of the birth of his four grandchildren and virtually every single thing his grandchildren achieved thereafter, big or small. Joe’s grandchildren were his true pride and joy, and his happiest times were when Zoe, Alex, Owen, and Zach would be running around his house, playing and laughing, while he sat in his chair watching them and eating a piece of Anita’s strawberry rhubarb pie.

In addition to his beloved wife, Anita Milano; two children, Jennifer Milano and David Milano; and four grandchildren, Zoe Milano Sessine, Alexander Henry Milano, Owen Milano Sessine, and Zachary Joseph Milano, Joe leaves behind his son-in-law, Michael Sessine, and his daughter-in-law, Elisa Milano; brothers, Stephen Milano and Robert Milano; sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins. Joe was predeceased by his parents, Carmel and Albert Milano, sister Rose Vincent, and brothers Buddy Milano and John Milano.

Joseph Milano passed away June 7, 2024. Joe’s family would like to thank his longtime caregivers, Yesim Julio, Elaina May, Morina Moore, Michele Melanson, Nancy Jakubiak, and Jay Ghandi, for their incredible devotion and support, as well as Connecticut Hospice for its outstanding care during Joe’s final days. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Joe will be remembered forever by his friends and family as the hardest of workers, the most meticulous of people, the most loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, and a quiet man with a big heart.