Joseph "Joe" Cerniglia, age 92, of Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully in the company of his wife on January 6, 2026. Joe was born on November 28, 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Carl and Mary Cerniglia. He is survived by his wife, Donna.

Joe married Donna Jean (née Boyer) on June 20, 1959, in Kansas City, Kansas. They shared 66 years of marriage and together raised their daughter, Michelle, with love and dedication.

In 1955, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army and served honorably as a military police officer, deploying to Korea for a year and a half. Joe graduated from the University of Kansas in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in Soviet studies and the Russian language. He went on to study Slavic languages at the master's level, and, in 1961, earned a Master of Science in Management Information Systems and Computer Science from American University in Washington, D.C. He spent his career in dedicated service to the American people, first as a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau and later as Director of Information Systems at the Appalachian Regional Commission.

He is remembered for his love of travel abroad, fishing, good Italian food, sailing and teaching it, and the occasional round of golf.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 16, at 11:00 a.m., at Boynton Memorial Chapel, located at 800 Boynton Beach Boulevard, Boynton Beach, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House Foundation , which provides housing and education grants for veterans and their families.