Jose “Toño” Miranda
December 20, 1938 – July 12, 2025
Jose “Toño” Miranda, 86, entered eternal rest on July 12, 2025. Born in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, he left the island for Massachusetts in the 1950s, drawn by the promise of steadier work and new opportunities. In Southbridge, he spent several years on the lines of American Optical Company, mastering precision work and clocking in before dawn. Restless for something of his own, he later opened Tony’s Café, a neighborhood bar where the music was loud, the drinks flowed, and the dominoes never stopped.
In the early 1980s, Toño resettled in South Carolina, where he earned a reputation as a skilled flooring installer, a trade he practiced until retiring in 2008. He spent his free hours tinkering in his shop on any project he could get his hands on. Eventually, he would spend his final years back in Massachusetts.
Toño’s Catholic faith and Puerto Rican heritage were steadfast; he never missed Sunday Mass and treasured the solemnity of Midnight Mass each Christmas. On holidays, he loved to bathe a whole lechón in spices, then slow-roast it all night and into the morning, the fragrance drifting through the house while a pot of arroz con gandules simmered nearby. When grief visited his family, he lit a single candle and said a prayer, confident that it would guide the departed home.
He is survived by his son, Tony Miranda, and daughter-in-law, Melissa Allgrim; grandson Juan Miranda; granddaughter Destiny Degraffenreid and her husband, Larry Degraffenreid; great-grandsons Myles and Thomas Degraffenreid; granddaughter Kristie Springs and her husband Eric Springs; grandson Joshua Evans Sellers and his husband Donte Evans Sellers; great-grandson Chase Springs; and son-in-law Gene Sellers.
Toño also leaves behind five sisters: Maria Sanchez, Fita Miranda, Masin Alvarado, Margo Adriano, and Lucy Wagner; and five brothers: Nito Miranda, Raul Miranda, Guiso Miranda, Manuel Miranda, and Juanito Miranda. He also leaves behind a wide circle of nieces and nephews to carry on the Miranda name and traditions.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rosa Torres and Juan Miranda; his brother, Negro Miranda; his nephew, Deiby Miranda; and his daughter, Julie Sellers.
The family will hold a private memorial at a later date. Please contact family members for more details. Tio Toño always insisted when his time came, no one should remain sad; instead, they should put on some music, turn it up loud, and celebrate life. In that spirit, those who wish to honor Toño’s memory are encouraged to play their favorite songs, cook a pot of arroz con gandules, enjoy a spirited game of dominoes, or say a prayer and light a candle at home; joyful acts that reflect the way he believed life should be lived.