<p><em>John Anthony DiMuzio</em> was born in Edison, NJ on October 16, 1974 to his parents John and Antonette DiMuzio. His father spent his 41-year career in education, serving as a teacher, school administrator, and, ultimately, as the superintendent of the Edison School District until his retirement in 2010. His mother also worked in education as a high school math teacher for 40 years until her retirement in 2010. She lost her fight with cancer on July 9, 2015. John was the second of four children in a very close-knit family, leaving behind an older brother, Joseph, and two younger sisters, Joanne and Marianne.</p>
<p>John grew up as an avid sports fan, and he loved watching football in particular, regardless of the team. But, if he had to choose, he rooted for the NY Giants and NY Yankees as his favorite hometown teams. John attended John P. Stevens High School in Edison, where he excelled in both the classroom and in varsity athletics. He was the starting quarterback of the football team and a pitcher on the baseball team. Ultimately, it was his baseball prowess that caught the eye of Army’s coaching staff and, upon graduating from high school in 1993, he attended West Point as a recruited athlete for baseball. </p>
<p>At the Academy, John was assigned to Company E-3 as a plebe and yearling and to Company G-2 as a cow and firstie. He played Army baseball for three years and established himself as a good relief pitcher and one-of-a-kind teammate. His impressions of the coaching staff were legendary. John was a friend to all and showed steadfast loyalty to those closest to him. He was sarcastic and loud, giving a nickname to everyone he met, and they were never flattering. He would call people out on anything and everything they did, when all the while he was truly the king of personal quirks. As his friends will attest, he had to sleep with a fan next to his head, chewed his food for what seemed like hours, ordered his breakfast in a very particular way, and brushed his hair with the strangest technique. But it was this huge personality and relentless humor that made the long gray days bearable for those around him. He graduated from West Point in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Management and branched Field Artillery. </p>
<p>After completing the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK, John’s first assignment was with 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, TX, where he served as a fire support officer, platoon leader, and battery executive officer. Following this duty, he voluntarily changed his branch to Adjutant General Corps and transferred to the Military Entrance Processing Station in Tampa, FL, where he served as a testing officer for new recruits. </p>
<p>In 2002, John left the Army and started working for Pfizer Corporation as a pharmaceutical sales representative in Long Island, NY. He married his first wife during this time, and they had two beautiful children, Ava and Jake. At Pfizer, John was a consummate team player. He always stepped up to help anyone in need for the betterment of the patient, the business, and the team. He was the winner of multiple sales awards, including the highest granted by the corporation, the Vice President’s Cabinet Award. John was voted three times by his peers for the Contributor of the Year Award for going above and beyond his day-to-day responsibilities. Over his 16 years at Pfizer, he exemplified a strong work ethic and loved being part of the team environment—always striving to raise others up before himself. </p>
<p>In 2012, John found his true happiness when he met his second wife, Amanda. Although he did not like to admit it, they met on an internet dating site. Their son, Nathan, was born in 2015. John loved being a dad and never missed an opportunity to spend quality time with his children. Together, they enjoyed occasional trips to Disney and Atlantic City, NJ and annual summer vacations with the DiMuzio family in Hilton Head, SC. However, it was the simple things in life that they appreciated the most. They found an easy happiness taking evening walks through the neighborhood and enjoying sunset dinners on the beach. John always made sure that every moment was jam-packed with life and love for the years they had together. </p>
<p>John’s approach to everything was laughter; his smile was contagious. He genuinely made everyone around him better. He was the master of small gestures, like the lost art of a hand-written thank you, a well-placed card, or an unexpected gift. He never forgot a birthday or special occasion. He made it a priority to remember the things that were important to the people in his life. His big personality was only outmatched by his big heart. </p>
<p>John lost his 14-month battle with brain cancer on December 12, 2018. He will forever be remembered as a loyal dad, a dedicated husband, a beloved son and brother, a fun uncle, a great friend, and everybody’s “best man.” John was a gifted storyteller of times gone by. Although his story was cut far too short, his legacy will live on and be told by those who were blessed to have known and loved him.</p>
<p><em>— Steve Suhr </em></p>