John Raymond Ciparro

Mr. John Raymond Ciparro, 89, of Ijamsville, died Saturday, January 11, 2020. He was the husband of the late Mary (Boyle) Ciparro. Born December 15, 1930 in Jersey City, NJ, he was the son of the late Dominick and Mary Ciparro. John is survived by his daughters, Susan Lennox and husband Charles and Nancy Salter and husband Dean, grandsons, Corey Lennox and Dominick Lennox, sister, Elenore Celia, special friend and companion, Christine Kowalski, numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by 9 siblings. His educational background includes studies at Rutgers University, the George Meany Institute and the University of Wisconsin. John will be long remembered for his sharp wit and endless generosity. He was one of a kind. In addition to spending time with his adored children and grandchildren, a perfect weekend working on his lawn and garden while sipping Dewars on the Rocks and smoking a good cigar would make him smile. A lifelong union member, John joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1953 when he became a technician at the Western Electric Company in Kearny, NJ. From 1956 to 1970, he was active in leadership positions with IBEW Local 1470, one of the largest unions in New Jersey, including serving as its vice president from 1965-1970. He then moved to Washington, DC area to become chief negotiator for the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department. There he was responsible for promoting and developing coordinated bargaining programs involving multiple national and local unions representing employees of common employers. While in New Jersey, he served as an executive member of the Hudson County Central Labor Council, faculty member of St. Peters Institute of Industrial Relations, an advisor to the democratic congressman Cornelius Gallagher. He was active in New Jersey and national Democratic Party politics, including serving as labor coordinator for the 1960 presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy and as a delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention held in Atlantic City, NJ. John was also active in many public and civic groups such as the Hudson County United Fund, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America. He received the President's Boy Scout Award in 1963. After his move to the Washington area in 1970, he was elected president of the Urbana Civic Association for the County of Frederick, where he coordinated with other county groups in Maryland on property tax assessment issues. John was a lifelong member of the VFW Post#3285 in Frederick as well as a member of the Democratic National Committee, the Maryland Democratic Committee, the Alliance for Retired Americans and the American Association of Retired People. He was a supporting member of the Maryland Troopers Association and Maryland's Sheriff's Institute. He was a Korean War veteran (USMC). The family will receive friends from 1pm to 4pm, on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD. The graveside service will be at 12:00PM, on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at Resthaven Memorial Gardens, Frederick. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Frederick County, P.O. Box 1799, Frederick, MD 21702. Online condolences may be made at www.keeneybasford.com.