Joseph Ernest Cirigliano

The Honorable Joseph Ernest Cirigliano, 102, died peacefully on October 27, 2026.

Born on August 27, 1924 in Berea, Ohio, he devoted his extraordinary life to the law and serving others, dedicating more than 65 years to public service.

The son of immigrants, Judge Cirigliano became a lawyer after watching his parents and other minorities be mistreated by society.

Joe graduated from Elyria High School in 1941 and enrolled at Baldwin-Wallace College, but left shortly after to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific from 1943-45 and earned the rank of corporal.

He returned to Baldwin-Wallace and obtained a Bachelor’s in history in 1949. He received his Juris Doctor from Western Reserve Law School in 1952. He opened his own law practice in Elyria after passing the bar and handled a large number of criminal defense cases until he was elected to the bench.

He served as a judge with the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas from 1981-89 and on the Ninth District Court of Appeals from 1989-91.

He was appointed as a visiting judge by the Ohio Supreme Court from 1995-2005. He served on the Board of Governors of both the Ohio State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

He stepped down in 2005 because of age restrictions and joined the litigation department of Wickens Herzer Panza.

In 2018, he received the Bar Medal, the Ohio State Bar Association’s highest honor.

An avid golfer, he worked to establish the annual Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Outing and Endowment Fund at Lorain County Community College in 1990. He also served on the college’s Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Governors.

The Judge Joseph and Beverly Cirigliano Studio Theatre was dedicated to LCCC in their honor in 2014 to pay tribute to the couple’s decades of service.

He is survived by his daughter, Maria (Joseph) Setticase, and his son, Marc (Lindy) Cirigliano. He is preceded in death by his wife, Beverly (nee Brass) in 2019, his parents Antonio and Maria Cirigliano, and his brother, James Cirigliano.

Interment is private. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Those wishing to honor his memory may make a memorial contribution to the Joseph & Beverly Cirigliano Scholarship Fund at either Lorain County Community College or Baldwin-Wallace.

Reichlin Roberts Bollinger Funeral Home is honored to provide funeral arrangements for the family.

www.reichlinrobertsbollinger.com