On Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, Joseph A. Petillo Jr. of Washingtonville passed away at Garnet Medical Center in the The Town of Wallkill. Middletown of COVID-19. Joe was 88.
The son of Maria Giampa Petillo and Joseph A. Petillo Sr., Joe was born in Greenwich Village on July 22, 1932, the oldest of four.
Joseph graduated from NYU and was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, proudly serving the military in the Korean Conflict.
After the military, Joe met and married the love of his life, Helene (Puck) Coller, who predeceased him in December 2019 after 63 years of marriage.
Survivors include his sons: Joseph III and his wife Janet of Elma, Christopher and his wife Alma of Lake Grove and Scott of Saratoga; five grandchildren: Pierce, Patrick, Christopher, BarbaraLeigh and Joseph; sister Joy Dixon and her husband Robert, brother Thomas and his companion Toni Greco, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Joe also leaves behind many cousins and legions of friends whom he has kept near and dear some since childhood.
Joe was predeceased by his brother Domnick.
One of the last of the “debonair” generation, even until the end, Joe made it his business to charm and entertain the people caring for him because that was simply who he was. We mourn his passing and yet, in our hearts we know that Joe just wanted to be with his “Puck” to whom he devoted himself, especially during their golden years.
We will forever miss his stories and his theories and his outrageous antics and will carry those stories with us for generations to come as he lives on in our hearts for the rest of our days.
The family would like to thank all the caregivers, nurses, doctors at both Garnet and Middletown Park Manor for their comfort and care.
There will be no visitation, however, a memorial service for Joe and Puck will take place at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5028 (www.giving.mskcc.org).
Arrangements are by Smith, Seaman, and Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home (www.ssqfuneralhome.com).