October 13, 1925 (Carlstadt, NJ) – January 17, 2020 (Norwalk, CT)
Married to Florence O’Brien Romano (1928-2021).
Last address: 1 Woodchuck Court W; Norwalk
Serial number: 42069708
Unit: 42nd Infantry Division (the Rainbow Division)
Also received the Bronze Star Medal.
Wounded March 15, 1945. He was raised in Brooklyn, NY, and lived most of his life in Norwalk. He joined the U.S. Army at the age of 19, serving in Europe as a Staff Sergeant. He fought and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, where he received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. His unit, the 42nd Rainbow Division, liberated the concentration camp at Dachau. Upon returning home Joe worked as a salesman for Fine Paper Industry and then retired as a supervisor from Temple Eastex in Darien. He was a member and Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Council 46, and a Past Faithful Navigator of the Bishop Fenwick Assembly. Joe was also a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, and the American Legion.
In addition to his wife Florence, Joe is survived by his nieces and nephews Janet Smith, Ronald Romano, John Romano, and Lynda Mattison, who was also his goddaughter, and his brother-in-law George O’Brien. He was predeceased by his brother Louis Romano, his sister Catherine Sferlazza, stepbrothers John, Frank, and Joseph Sferlazza, and his niece Annette Greco.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, January 24, at 10 AM at St. Matthew Church, 216 Scribner Ave., Norwalk. Burial with full military honors will follow at St. John Cemetery. Joe’s family will receive friends at the Magner Funeral Home, 12 Mott Ave., Norwalk, on Thursday from 3-6 PM. Donations in his name may be made to St. Matthew Church.
Buried in St John Cemetery, 221 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut. The plot number is unknown.
Photo pending
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