Last month, on April 11th, well-known Milpitas resident Edward Charles Sermone passed away peacefully. He was 92 years old.
Born in San Jose, Sermone attended San Jose High School, then later San José State University. He was a man devoted to public service: he served in the US Navy during the Korean War, then in 1961, he started working for the Milpitas Fire Department (MFD), where he would go on to have a distinguished career. In the MFD, he rose to the rank of Chief Officer and later Fire Marshall (on retirement in 1986, he was the 2nd highest ranking Chief in the Department). After that, Sermone worked as a teacher in the Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD).
Friends and relatives of Sermone’s will remember him as a world traveler, open to cultures and languages around the globe and keeping up with his relatives in Italy. He also loved dancing and entertaining those he loved. In their obituary, the family wrote, “He loved life and will be missed but not forgotten.”
Robert Webster knew Ed from his time working at the City of Milpitas, as well as on a personal level. Shared Webster with The Beat, “He was a well-educated and very intelligent man; a mentor to many, who led by example and as a chief officer he served the city well. It began to develop under his tenure as Fire Marshal and he was almost a ‘one-man-show’ in the Fire Prevention Division managing the various projects.
Webster went on, “He loved to dance and continuously studied the Italian language. He was a good cook and loved his family. He had a welcoming smile and a gentle laugh. Ed was a quiet gentleman who never had a negative comment about anyone. He will be missed.”
The Beat also caught up with Bill Weisgerber, son of former Milpitas Mayor Denny Weisgerber and a retired MFD Fire Chief. Shared Weisgerber, “Chief Sermone’s fire department career spanned three decades—as a Firefighter, Captain, and ultimately Chief of Fire Prevention (Fire Marshal). He was not only a dedicated member of the department, but also a fixture in the community. He was a fire professional of the highest order as a leader, coach, and mentor to the members who served with him, and under his command. Chief Sermone was a personable and honorable man of many facets and despite the seriousness of his profession, his distinctive sense of humor was legendary and unparalleled. In the fire department he was first my supervisor, then my colleague and remained always my friend. Chief Ed Sermone left his mark on the lives he touched, and those who knew and worked with him, and it is indelible.”
Sermone is survived by his sister Betty Juinta and his brother Richard Sermone; his two sons, Ed Sermone (Sue) and Roger Sermone; and daughter Karen Nielsen; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services for Edward Charles Sermone will be held on May 2nd at 11:00am, at Lima-Campagna-Alameda Mission Chapel in San Jose.
