Joseph J Serra, Jr.

SERRA, Joseph J., Jr. 64, of Belleair, Florida died on December 14, 2019. It is with great sadness that the family of Joe announces his unexpected passing. Joe was born at St. Anthony’s hospital and raised in St. Petersburg where he lived with his parents and three brothers. After high school graduation, he joined the US Air Force where he served our country for 4 years. He returned to Florida and started his family. Joe lived a very full life as an extremely successful and influential executive in the I.T. industry for over 30 years. He had a unique ability to build strong and professional relationships that stood the test of time. His positive influence in his industry and his positive attitude with any challenge he faced made him unforgettable. Joe’s first love was for his family. He was married to Susan for almost 24 years, and they loved raising their children together. They always made time each summer for extended family vacations. Joe loved the water, spending time grilling on his Treager grill and drinking Guinness while watching the Rays on TV in his backyard. He was happiest when he was hosting friends and family at his home, smoking ribs and chicken wings on the grill. He was kept very young at heart by his children, ranging in age from 39 to 12. Joe shouldered a very large level of responsibility with a demanding career, lovingly taking care of his father, four children, 3 dogs, and a litany of friends both professionally and personally. He had high expectations for his colleagues and his children, but underneath that seemingly stern exterior he had a sarcastic wit and a smile that was warm and all consuming. Joe influenced so many people in his lifetime, both personally and professionally and his reach extended worldwide. He lived his life with no regrets and no one questioned where they stood with him. He was a large loving life force whose legacy will live on forever through his children and through all the fabulous memories that he made with so many. Joe is lovingly remembered by his wife, Susan and his children, Joey (Cara), Jillian, Sean, and Leeza, as well as his dad Joe Sr, three brothers, thirteen nieces and nephews and a very large extended family. Joe’s Celebration of Life service will be held 1 pm Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Anona United Methodist Church, 13233 Indian Rocks Road, Largo. Donations in memory of Joe can be made to Suncoast Hospice Foundation https://suncoasthospice.org and Carlton Manor https://www.carltonmanor.org.

Joe Serra was a rockstar, everyone who

knew him would agree

I feel so blessed to have had the perfect man for me

It’s hard to believe that he’s not here,

his strong presence was a thing

He made the happiest woman ever with my wedding ring

Joe was a brilliant career man, he had so much respect

I don’t know that I know anyone else

who has his positive affect

His character and integrity and loyalty were

what made him strong

He loved grilling his chicken wings and

singing the Toto by Africa song

Joe was such a family man, he was such an amazing dad

His kids were blessed to learn from him

and he was rarely ever mad

He took care of everything, with his

calm and strong demeanor

He insisted on being his own pool,

and his own window cleaner

His sense of humor and his sarcastic wit

were as famous as his smile

He could never say no to those he loved and he rocked his Tommy Bahama style

Joe was larger than life and we’re so grateful we had a strong long lasting bond

We’ve seen the strong community we’ve built with the way we’ve seen your love respond

Although our hearts are breaking, it’s because being in his world was such a gift

His loss has been acutely felt, a never ending rift

Please pray for strength and peace

As well as comfort and patience for our days

Knowing and loving Joe Serra was a joy

and when in doubt GO RAYS!

Many people pass through our lives. When one leaves us, it causes us to reflect, appreciate and value the impact they had on us. I was fortunate, as many have been, to have had the opportunity to do life with Joe. All appreciated his wisdom, patience, tenacity and humor. He was the perfect man for me and I am devastated to have lost him but I am blessed to have known him. He was a wonderful husband, and an amazing father. He always put his family first and he has created a very strong family from his adult kids down to our angsty 12 year old. It will be really hard without him, but I don’t regret ONE MINUTE of our life decisions. I love you Joe Serra and I was so blessed to be your wife, your best mate, and your princess. It was a joy to be your partner in life.

Channel Mourns Loss Of Affable, Accountable Vology Leader Joe Serra

Serra, a solution provider and distribution executive revered by colleagues and peers for his

bright smile and ability to create a culture of accountability, passed away over the weekend.

By Michael Novinson, Steven Burke December 16, 2019, 05:14 PM EST

Joe Serra and Barry Shevlin enjoyed Saturday lunch together every

month for more than a decade at the Columbia Restaurant in Sand Key, Florida.

The two neighbors, friends and sometimes colleagues would talk

family, shop and Tampa Bay Rays baseball and use the other as a

sounding board for tough business issues. Though the conversations

differed at each meeting, the entrée choices were always the same:

Serra had the restaurant’s famous 1905 Salad with turkey, while Shevlin had a salad with shrimp.

Shevlin’s lunches with his longtime friend and top lieutenant at

solution provider Vology came to an end sooner than anyone could

have imagined. Serra passed away this weekend, and is survived by

his father, wife Susan, and four children: Joe, Jillian, Sean, and Leza.

A celebration of Serra’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Jan. 11 at Anona

United Methodist Church in Largo, Fla.

[Related: Distributor Global Convergence Brings Services To Channel Partners]

“He’s been in and around the industry for quite some time, and he

was well-liked,” said Shevlin, CEO of Clearwater, Fla.-based Vology,

No. 173 on the 2019 CRN Solution Provider 500. “He seemed to know

everybody. People just adored him.”

Shevlin hired Serra at Vology not once, but twice, recruiting the longtime leader first from Tech Data in 2006 to build Vology’s

professional sales organization and transform the business from a reseller of pre-owned Cisco equipment to a true value-added reseller.

Then in November 2018, Shevlin brought Serra back from GCI to infuse Vology with services expertise and mature the firm’s organizational structure.

“Philosophically, we’re just aligned from a leadership perspective,” Serra said. “Always led by example.”

Serra’s greatest impact was on Vology’s culture, Shevlin said, particularly as it relates to improving accountability throughout the entire

organization. Serra signed every single email with the saying “See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It.” and worked his hardest every day to put that slogan into action, according to Shevlin.

Serra was consistently the first person on his team to dig in and meet with any customer who’s having an issue, and the first person to take responsibility and hold himself accountable if something went wrong, Shevlin said. He always took responsibility when things in his

zone of responsibility weren’t right, Shevlin said, and almost never pointing fingers or blamed other members on his team.

“He liked to keep things simple,” Shevlin said.

Customers viewed Serra as an executive who knew how to navigate around roadblocks and could count on him to communicate

promptly, directly, and concisely, Shevlin said. Both times Serra was at Vology, Shevlin said he attracted people to the firm who were

aligned with its philosophy of leading by example, resulting in significant gains in Vology’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) for both customers and employees.

Serra’s scope of knowledge also grew dramatically from his Tech Data days, Shevlin said, and he was one of very few executives

to successfully make the transition from being product-centric to being services-centric. His laser-like focus in recent years on service

delivery and service excellence strengthened the culture of Vology’s services organization and helped company mature its service delivery processes.

“We enjoyed each other’s view on the industry,” Shevlin said. “He was very well-known and very well-liked.”

Outside of the office, Global Technology Distribution Council CEO Frank Vitagliano recalled spending three days at the US Open Tennis

Tournament with Serra and his wife Susan. It was a weekend focused on building both a business and personal relationship that turned

into a longstanding friendship between Vitagliano and Serra and their wives. That weekend ended up at The Monkey Bar in New York City with Serra - who was then vice president of product management at Clearwater, Fla.-based Tech Data - holding court and celebrating a new

friendship into the wee small hours of the morning.

“Joe was a fun guy to be with,” Vitagliano said. “He had a smile that would light up a room. Joe was an old school channel executive that built very, very strong relationships based on trust, mutual respect