- Date Of Birth: June 11, 1924
- Date Of Death: May 15, 2016
- State: New Jersey
Joseph George Gaetano was 91 when he passed away peacefully at his home in the Bronx Sunday, May 15th. Born in New York City, Joseph was a lifelong resident of the Bronx. Before retiring at the age of 62, he worked very hard for many years as a dye stamper. Joseph was the one who handled orders that required the most skill and precision in stamping ink color inside the engraved impressions of lettering on stationery and business cards. He was very proud of his work and the completed jobs received much admiration. A caring family man, he loved celebrating birthdays, enjoying picnics, and fun parks with his wife and children. In the years after, he would enjoy late-night chats with his grandsons and special times with his granddaughter and the young great-grandchildren. Relatives and friends will remember his pleasure in story-telling to the little ones, and entertaining them with funny facial expressions. A favorite pastime of his was to listen to the old romantic songs and then record his own version. All through his life he recalled with pride and reverence his experiences in World War II serving honorably in the United States Army from 1943-1946, including his own close calls in the action, and valor in assisting another who had fallen or been injured. He held, always, a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Joseph was the beloved husband of the late Grace (nee Mazzola), the loving father of Angela Smith and her husband Michael, Rosalie Santaniello and her husband Vincent and Joseph Gaetano, Jr. He was the devoted brother of Rev. Francis M. Gaetano. Joseph was the cherished grandfather of Christopher Santaniello, Teresa Santaniello-Korenstein, Kenneth Smith,Jonathan Smith, Timothy Smith, Alex Gaetano, and Noelle Gaetano. He was also survived by his great-grandchildren; Tyler, Lena Maria, Vincent, Victoria, Michael, Grace, Kenneth, and Maria.
