After his wife of 29 years lost her 13-year battle with breast cancer, Joe Satriano could’ve retreated from life. Instead he decided to give back by starting a foundation, writing and creating a new life dedicated to helping children whose parents have been touched by cancer.

Satriano discussed this journey at a book signing and reading Wednesday night at Borders. In front of a  small group of people, he shared his book In Sickness and In Health, A Memoir of Love and its message of living life in the face of adversity.

He read from it to tell the story about his life with his wife Susan. She inspired him to create the Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which has helped 53 kids in five years with $50,000 in scholarship money.

“These kids are suffering just as much as their parents. I call them the ‘silent sufferers,’” Satriano said. “Many of these kids would never be eligible for academic awards because their grades suffer as they take on responsibilities that one or both of their parents can no longer handle.”

“I love the foundation Joe started. It’s such a wonderful idea to help these kids,” said Linda Maria Frank, a former forensics science teacher and author of young adult mysteries in the audience.

To be eligible for the scholarship award students must be graduating seniors heading to college in the Fall and have a parent who has passed away from cancer or one who is presently battling it.

“I don’t turn any of them away, as long as they meet the requirements,” added Satriano, a former math teacher for 25 years at Roslyn high school.

His wife was also a math teacher. They met in a math class at Brooklyn College.

“We went the All-American route after we married in 1976. We had the kids – Matthew and Justin – got the dog, moved to the suburbs, and had a wonderful life. Then in 1992 we got the diagnosis of breast cancer,” Satriano told the audience.

“The C word can change the course of a smooth sailing ship and make it rocky. But we decided to keep living,” he continued. “You have two choices: you can stick your head in the sand or you can live life to the fullest. We decided we had a lot to live for.”

This message resonated with audience members.

“I think Joe really hits the nail on the head. It’s all about living and giving, not so much about death. It’s doing a lot with time you have here on this earth,” said Frank, a cancer survivor.

Lorraine Ricapito agreed, adding that she felt inspired to move forward with her goals. “I’m a singer, but I want to try acting. I think I could do it,” she said. “I will go forward in 2011, and feel that I was supposed to be here and hear this.”

Satriano related how for the next 13 years he and Susan lived, loved, laughed, cried and fretted every time there was a test or scan. He was at her side for every treatment, until she passed in October 2005.

Following her death Satriano felt lost and needed a purpose. He started volunteering at a local elementary school in Oceanside where his sons attended.

“I called the principal and asked if I could help students with their math during lunch. It helped me heal,” Satriano said. “Six months later, I started the foundation. Six months after that I started writing.”

Writing was cathartic, he said, but what started as journal writing turned into a book. He realized he could help people by telling their story. He self-published the book in September 2009 under the pen name J.S. Russo, which was created by combining the initials of his and Susan’s first names with the maiden name of his mother, who passed away several years ago in March.

Since then all of the proceeds of the book go to fund the scholarships the foundation gives annually. It’s also growing and gaining notoriety. On Oct. 2, the fifth anniversary of Susan’s death, the foundation raised $24,000 at a benefit concert at Oceanside High School.

Plus, one of the hosts of The View, Sherri Shepherd, reportedly wore one of the foundation's memorial pins on the Oct. 7 episode of the show. Satriano’s tried to contact the show’s producers to offer some information about the foundation, but hasn't heard anything back.

“I’m ready to take this to the next level,” said Satriano, who’s working on another book, entitled, of course, After Math.