John M. Caruso

John Michael Caruso, 53, of Rumson, peacefully passed away on March 4, 2021 at home surrounded by his family. He was born in Red Bank, New Jersey to his loving parents, John and Rosemarie “Googie” (Scott) Caruso. John grew up in Ocean Township and graduated from Ocean Township High School in 1985. He then went on to Muhlenberg College where he earned his B.A. in Economics and graduated with honors in 1989. Following college, he entered law school at the University of Bridgeport School of Law, later renamed Quinnipiac Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1992.

Upon receiving his law degree, he started his career in the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. In 1997 he co-founded CJS Companies (CJS) with his twin brother, Scott. CJS is a real estate development company that has developed over two thousand residential lots throughout New Jersey over the past twenty-four years. John personally brought each project through the regulatory approval process with aforementioned projects ranging from solar fields to low-income housing.

John was profoundly involved in the Rumson and Fair Haven communities. He previously was elected and served as President of the Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School’s Board of Education. He coached dozens of youth sports teams extending from baseball, to basketball, to football, to soccer. He was a member of the Township’s Recreation Committee, founding member of the Two River Little League, served on the RFH Touchdown Club, was a key member of the RFH Diamond Club, and gave his time generously to countless other organizations.

His efforts to better the community were copious and immeasurable, but perhaps his most renowned act was his annual Christmas light display. Every year, he, his wife, and his sons spent hours setting up a Christmas display that compared to no other. The greatest joy he received was when a passerby would roll down their window and share that the display gave them and their families Christmas cheer. The definition of an altruist, John erected his light display to emblematically brighten the days of visitors during the holiday season.

John was an inimitable father who preferred to be in the company of his family than anywhere else. A kid at heart, his greatest moments were spent with his sons and wife in Disney World, his most beloved place on Earth. John far exceeded all duties of a father and was much more than that to his sons: he was their coach, teacher, role model, and best friend. His wisdom vastly surpassing his age, John passed on boundless knowledge and life lessons to his sons, teaching them how to become men of character and live a righteous life. His love, guidance, inspiration, and what he means to his sons cannot be accurately quantified in a mere paragraph; a more felicitous writing would rival the length of the Iliad. Simply, John was the best father. He moved mountains for his sons and the perpetual hole left from his loss will never be mended.

To John, his foremost accomplishment was marrying the love of his life, Kim. Their love parallels those of fairytales and is a relationship so strong and deep that it will span the tests of time. Each day together was filled with unceasing laughter, passion, and bliss, their love never waning. Perhaps John’s own words serve as the best testament of their eternal love: “I laugh the loudest when I’m with you, I love the deepest when in your arms, and every time I look into your eyes I thank God for giving me much more than I ever deserved. You are my best friend, the love of my life, and my every dream come true.” True love like this is surely a rarity and inspiration.

John was a special friend, brother, son, and uncle. But above all else he was a proud father and loving husband. John was a truly selfless person who put friends and family before himself and never ceased to make everyone he met feel special. On his latest birthday, John challenged his friends and loved ones to do a daily act of kindness, for he firmly believed that when actions and words are genuine and compassionate can we truly change the world and lives of those around us. John looked for the wonder and goodness in everything because he only had goodness within him. We ask that you honor him by doing a daily act of kindness as John epitomized all that is good in this world and lived a life far greater than for just himself.

He is predeceased by his mother, Rosemarie “Googie” Scott. Surviving is his beloved wife of twenty-seven years, Kimberly Armstrong Caruso, his loving sons, John “Jake” Jr. and Kyle Caruso, his adored father, John Caruso, his dear brothers, Scott and his wife Catherine and Carmine and his wife Carol, and his mother and father in law, Robert and Linda Armstrong. Also surviving are his nieces and nephews, Olivia, Michael, Nicholas, Dante, Jamie, Ashley, Maya, Matthew, Colton and Gavin.

A Memorial Gathering will be held at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701 on Wednesday March 10, 2021 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. A Memorial Mass will be held at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven, NJ 07704 on Thursday March 11, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Burial of cremated remains will follow at Woodbine Cemetery in Oceanport.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent in John’s memory to the Glioblastoma Research Organization at http://gbmresearch.org/donate or the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at http://www.gifts.duke.edu/dci?technique_code=CCCWBDNN

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.