- Date Of Birth: February 3, 1926
- Date Of Death: November 6, 2016
- State: Pennsylvania
Joseph V. Spadaccia, 90, of Bethlehem, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Lower Saucon Twp. He was the husband of Margaret S. (DeAngelis) Spadaccia. They would have been married for 61 years this coming March.
Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Vincent Spadaccia and Angeline (Ponticelli) Spadaccia. Joe was a World War II Veteran of the Unites States Marine Corps where he was a scout and sniper and fought in the Pacific Ocean theater. He was in the 6th Marine Division and saw combat on many Japanese held islands including Saipan on the Mariana Islands, Gudalcanal and Okinowa where he fought in the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill and the division was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism.
He then prepared for the possible invasion of mainland Japan until the Japanese surrendered and later served in Tsingtao, China until his honorable discharge. After the war, Joe returned to Bethlehem where he began working at Kurtz Brothers Furniture as a woodworker and then at Knoll International in East Greenville, Pa as manager of the woodshop for over 42 years. In 1976 he traveled to Saudi Arabia where Knoll was working at the king’s palace. When he retired from Knoll he remained active doing consulting work in the manufacturing industry before embarking on on a second career as supervisor of the Bethlehem Recycling Center where he worked for 25 years until he retired in 2015.
He led the facility from its humble beginnings in South Bethlehem to its move and numerous expansions at its current location on Illick’s Mill Road in Bethlehem where it became an award winning facility. Joe loved spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren and enjoyed annual family vacations to the Jersey Shore with family and extended family; a tradition that continued for over 50 years. Joe was a member of the former Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church and was currently a member of St. Anne Catholic Church in Bethlehem.
Survivors: In addition to his loving wife Marge, sons Bruce Spadaccia and his wife Kerri, Brian Spadaccia and his wife Wendy, Vince Spadaccia, all of Bethlehem, and Joseph Spadaccia, Jr. and his wife Kristine of Chester, VA; brother John L. Spadaccia of Fountain Hill; sister Theresa Wagner of Bethlehem; 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Nettie Tarola.
