Charles (Charlie) Ruggierello
Charles (Charlie) Ruggierello, age 77, died at home on Tuesday 1/23/2024 at 2:30 in the afternoon.
The following words are Charlie’s as he wanted to write his own obituary.
“He was at grateful peace with himself. Charlie’s life joys were Sandy, his beautiful, exciting and free- spirited wife of 54 years, his guitar and his self-respect.”
Charlie was born and raised on Staten Island where he attended St. Dorothy’s Elementary School, St. Peter’s High School and learned most of his vices in South Beach. Charlie graduated St. Peter’s College in Jersey City and finished his education with an M.B.A from Wagner College back on Staten Island.
Charlie met the “love of his life, Sandy, while his band (The C.R. Trio) was playing at a South Beach nightclub. A beautiful, long-haired, shapely waitress approached him on the band stand and said, “Can I sing a song with your band?”- Oh boy, love at first site.
Charlie was a proud ROTC graduate who achieved the rank of Captain in the United States Army. His life work was predominantly as a management/marketing consultant. He worked both in business, non-profit organizations and higher education. While at Monmouth University he started and developed the Marketing Department. He and Sandy created the well-known Blue Note Studios, located in Long Branch, Belmar and Pt. Pleasant. It was in those studios they met all their music friends.
While he always had a guitar in his hands (since age 9), he devoted his retirement years to Sandy, his guitar (“I got pretty good”) woodworking and his lousy golf game. Charlie wished special recognition to his mother Adele, his sisters Donna and Marie, their daughters, sons-in- law and their children, as well as the rest of so many special family members and friends, past and present. Charlie closed with “I did it my way.”
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Monmouth County SPCA in Charlie’s name would be special. He was a devoted volunteer there and sincere animal lover. For more information and condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are by the Fiore-Buckley Funeral Home, Oakhurst, Ocean Township.