Joseph B. Fontana

Joseph Fontana, 94 years old of Boca Raton, Florida, passed away peacefully on March 11th. For all his years, Joe personified the true spirit of kindness. He was a beloved son and brother, devoted husband, extraordinary father, and loving grandfather, great grandfather and uncle.

Joe grew up in Clinton, Massachusetts, where he worked at his father’s restaurant, played baseball, and entertained crowds with his smooth tenor voice. He graduated from Holy Cross College and taught high school English, while coaching the school’s basketball team.

During the Korean War, Joe was drafted by the U.S. Army at age 23. He served for two years and was stationed at Oakland Army Base in California. He later served many years, and people, through his weekly volunteer work with the Salvation Army in Vero Beach, Florida.

Joe met the love of his life and future wife, Eleanore Sharples, while teaching. They soon moved to Connecticut where they raised their three girls. Joe continued his own education, obtaining his master’s degree from Fairfield University. He then worked as a Vice Principal.

Upon retiring from teaching, Joe became a small business owner, servicing schools across the state of Connecticut.

Joe especially enjoyed making people laugh, writing poetry, playing chess and poker, watching mysteries and game shows, riding his bike, and spending time with his family.

Joe is survived by his three daughters, Nancy Connito and her husband Richard, Joyce Fontana and her husband John Krawczyk, and Holly Galinskie and her husband Joe. He was also blessed with six grandsons, Ben and Adam Connito, Andrew and Daniel Siok, and Mason and Matthew Galinskie, as well as three great grandchildren, Theo, Vivienne, and Annika Siok.

A visitation for Joseph will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield, CT 06109, followed by a memorial service at 12:00 PM and military honors at 12:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation or The Salvation Army.