Joseph V. "Joe" DeStefano

Joe was a lifelong resident of Providence, and a summer resident of Narragansett for 58 years. He was born on August 5, 1924, the son of the late Mario and Livia (Ricci) DeStefano. He was the brother of the late John, James, Robert and Mario DeStefano. Joe grew up in a close, large extended family. He loved sports - playing baseball and basketball through college, and in later years, became an avid golfer. He was a passionate Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Providence College Men’s Basketball fan.

During WWII, Joe served as a Staff Sargent, in Alaska and the South Pacific, with the US Army 348th Harborcraft Division, as a landing boat operator. He received a BA in Education from Providence College in 1952, and later served on its Board of Governors. For his outstanding dedication and contributions to Providence College and beyond, Joe was awarded the Faithful Friar Award by the college’s National Alumni Association. Joe also received a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Rhode Island College.

Joe’s entire life was spent helping young people. After a 38 year career as a teacher, guidance counselor and administrator, Joe retired from the Providence School Department as Principal of Central High School. Joe also worked for the Providence Recreation Department for 27 years as Director of the South Providence (now Davey Lopes) Recreation Center and as Director of Pools for the city. For many years Joe was also a Registered Social Worker.

Retirement did not slow Joe down. Wherever he was, Joe read the newspaper from front to back, and was always well versed in US and world events. He worked for many years for his son-in-law Allen, at Nature’s Best Dairy. Active in many organizations, Joe was a past President of the Barnard Club and the Rhode Island Association of Retired Principals, also serving the latter, for many years, as Secretary up to the present. He was inducted into the Wanskuck Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in 1986.

For over 50 years, Joe was a dedicated volunteer with the Narragansett Council Boy Scouts of America. He was a committee member of Troop 76, St. Augustine Church Providence, for all those years. Joe was a member of the Council’s Executive Board. He was the first Chairperson for the Narragansett Council ‘Scouting for Food: Good Turn Drive’, completing his 31st year as Chairperson at the age of 94. Joe was very proud that those efforts helped the Scouts in the Council collect more than 9 million pounds of food for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Joe was also a member of the Rhode Island Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, as well as the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, serving both for many years.

He received many awards for his Scouting volunteer efforts including the Silver Beaver Award, the Bronze Pelican Award and both the Diocesan and National St. George Emblems. He was awarded the rarely given and prestigious Captain George Bucklin Award which recognizes Scouting volunteers for “long and faithful service.”

Joe’s greatest joy was his family and spending time with them. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 68 years, Mary E. ‘Betty’ (Becker); his children: Anne DeStefano and husband Dr. Toby Alterman of Jamestown; Jane Iannetta and husband Vincent of North Providence; Joseph DeStefano and wife Christine of Severna Park, MD; Lois Cicchitelli and husband Allen of Jamestown; Diane Duffy and husband Peter of Merrimack, NH; and Elizabeth DeStefano and husband Keith Peddle of North Kingstown. He was the beloved Papa to Christopher Cicchitelli and wife Ljiljana, Nicholas Cicchitelli, Alex Iannetta, Jennifer Checker and husband John and their daughters Madison and Emma, Katie DeStefano, John-Michael DeStefano and fiancée Helen Ji, Erin Duffy Loonan and husband Corey, Colleen Duffy, Shannon Duffy, Tara Duffy, Brendan Duffy, Kiera Duffy, Jeffrey Alterman, Lynn Alterman Wickersham and husband John, and Katie Paton.

Joe was a faithful parishioner of St. Augustine Church in Providence for over 60 years. He served on the parish’s school board for many years as the parish liaison.

Visitation will be held Friday from 4–7 p.m. with funeral services to be held on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. from the PONTARELLI-MARINO FUNERAL HOME, 971 Branch Avenue, Providence. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Noon in St. Augustine Church, 639 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence. Burial with military honors will take place in Highland Memorial Park, 1 Rhode Island Avenue, Johnston.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Joe’s memory, to either the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Avenue, Cranston, RI 02907 or the Narragansett Council Boy Scouts of America, 10 Risho Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914, would be greatly appreciated.