Joseph Raponi

Joseph/Joe/Joey was welcomed into heaven on December 24, 2023, by his parents – Joseph Raponi and Grace S. (Teta) Raponi – and a small band of brothers – Jack Confalone, Andy Mosco, John Flannelly, and Ronnie Crowell.

Joseph was born in Revere, MA., and grew up in Saugus, MA. He welcomed a sister, Karen, and they developed a bond that is unbreakable to this day.

There was nothing Joseph couldn’t master, and people were drawn to his bright personality, smile, and quick wit. Joseph never met a stranger.

Joseph truly hit his stride in 1980 when he entered the United States Marine Corps. He graduated first in his class from boot camp and quickly advanced in the enlisted ranks. Joseph epitomized what being a Marine stands for – Semper Fidelis – Always Faithful.

Joe married the love of his life, Lisa, in 1981 and theirs is a romance of which dreams are made. Together, with hard work and compromise, they built a life of which anyone could be proud.

Life after the Corps saw Joseph as a successful small business owner of Towne Market. In 1990 Joseph and Lisa welcomed their daughter, Jayne-Marie. The love and devotion Joseph had – and has – to Jayne was palpable. Seeking a change, Joseph, Lisa, and Jayne moved to Florida. In 1993 they welcomed a second daughter, Kathryn. Again, Joseph stood stock straight in his commitment, love, and devotion to his family and a never-ending line of rescued dogs and cats. No ask or task was insurmountable.

Joseph was successful within the auto industry and developed friendships that have stood the test of time. Joseph’s most recent career saw him as the Quality Control Supervisor for the demolition of coal-powered power plants for D.H. Griffin. This entailed extensive travel and months away from home but, somehow, the family stayed intact and strong. Joseph never missed any milestones in his family’s lives, most recently with the advancement of Kathryn’s career in hospitality and Jayne earning her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Or, as Joseph would call Jayne, his “Triple Gator.”

The pride he felt for his daughters’ achievements lives on. His final weekend with the family was one of joy and celebration. He enjoyed the ride and left with love for his family in his heart. This was obvious to anyone who glanced in their direction.

Joseph is survived by his wife Lisa (Pisello), daughter Jayne and daughter Kathryn, sistah Karen, brother-in-law Steve Rose, sister-in-law Linda Mathews, nieces Jessica Mosco and Elizabeth Hughes, godson Andrew Rivera, great niece Isabelle Hughes, honorary brother Joe Cruppi, Uncle Steve Teta, Aunts Jenny Teta and Rosemary Teta, and countless loving cousins and friends throughout the United States and Italy.

Arrangements are being made through Blount and Curry. The funeral mass will be on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at noon at Espiritu Santo church in Safety Harbor. A livestream to the funeral mass may be accessed at the following link: This is the link for the livestream of the Funeral Mass. We do it as a private event so it’s up to you to send it to those you would like to view the livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/3993348

A Celebration of Life will follow the mass from 2:00pm - 5:00pm, at the Spa at Safety Harbor (105 N Bayshore Dr, Safety Harbor, FL 34695) where the family would love for attendees to share their stories and memories of Joseph.

In lieu of flowers, Joseph’s family has requested donations be made in Joseph’s honor to either the Wounded Warrior Project - www.woundedwarriorproject.org or to the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) - https://donatelifeky.org/financial-contributions/