Joseph J. Negro

IRON MOUNTAIN — A new scholarship, the Joseph J. Negro Memorial Scholarship has been established at Iron Mountain High School, made possible by the generous gift provided by Joseph J. Negro in his trust upon passing. The first scholarship will be awarded at the IMHS Commencement ceremony on May 24, in the amount of $6,000.

The 92-year-old passed away Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson, Iron Mountain.

He was born on Sept. 4, 1930, in Iron Mountain, son of the late Joseph and Lucy (Nagro) Negro Sr. He was a lifelong resident of Iron Mountain and graduated from Iron Mountain High School in 1948.

He worked for his father at Negro’s Grocery Store until he entered the Army in January of 1952. He was honorably discharged in December of 1953, after being stationed in Japan for 16 months.

After the Army, he attended Michigan State University, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration with a major in accounting.

After working in Washington D.C. for a year with the U.S. government in the General Accounting Office, he returned to Iron Mountain in 1960 and worked as an accountant with Fleury Singler & Company until his retirement in 2013. He considered the people he worked with at Fleury Singler to be his second family.

Negro was an avid reader, liked to bowl, and was a fan of the Green Bay Packers and Michigan State Spartans. He enjoyed travel and for many years he and his sister took annual trips together.

He remained a faithful member of his church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, his entire life and served in various capacities through the years.

To be eligible for the Joseph J. Negro Memorial Scholarship, applicants must be a graduating senior of Iron Mountain High School, with financial need, who will be attending an accredited two or four-year college/university or other educational/technical institution, pursuing a degree in the field of their choice. Applicants must have averaged a 2.0 GPA or above during their high school career.

“Joe was a generous, kind and humble man who felt a strong allegiance to his town, his church and the school where he received his education,” Joe’s sister, Patricia, said.

Iron Mountain High School is extremely grateful for this generous contribution.