Joseph "Joe" William Morelli

It is with profound sadness and unimaginable heartbreak, we announce that Joseph W. Morelli, 34, of Columbia, deeply beloved husband of Melissa K. (Hodgins) Morelli, and cherished son of Atty. Joseph C. Morelli and Debra A. Morelli of Wethersfield, peacefully passed away on a bright and cold Monday morning on December 10, 2018 at Hartford Hospital, while surrounded and cradled by his loving family, following a four and one half year knockdown drag out battle with colorectal cancer. We take solace in knowing that he is with his grandparents now, especially his Grandpa Joe, who most certainly greeted him with open arms and loving hugs upon his much too early arrival.

Joe grew up in Rocky Hill and Wethersfield, attended Corpus Christi School and Xavier High School, where he played football and wrestled, and graduated in 2002. He earned a B.S. and Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Hartford and a Doctorate Degree from Regis University in Colorado, also in Physical Therapy. While at the U of H, he played rugby and loved the fact that he could regularly out muscle much bigger opponents. He began his physical therapy career at Select Physical Therapy and later became the branch manager in South Windsor. He joined Hartford Healthcare at Home in 2017 as an Outpatient Physical Therapist covering Eastern Connecticut. He continued working through the most challenging of treatments, right up until the last couple of months.

He loved all sports as a boy and played in local football and baseball leagues. He spent many happy summer days as a child at Chalker Beach in Old Saybrook with his family at his grandparent’s cottage. He took pride and spent countless hours building his body to be an accomplished power lifter, a certified firearms instructor and a certified athletic trainer. He bought and sold a condo in Vernon and then purchased his "dream house", a renovated farm house in Columbia with 6 acres of land which he and his wife enjoyed redecorating.

For whatever reason, Joe was granted only a limited number of years on this earth but he accomplished so much in that time and filled it with friends, family and, of course, one very special woman, his Melissa. He was devoted and dedicated to the love of his life whom he just adored. He was a fiercely loyal Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan and gleefully celebrated the frequent championships of both teams, including the latest Red Sox title a couple months ago. He loved to use his smoker to treat his family to pulled pork meals. He also loved a good steak, cooked medium rare, and fresh sushi. During his recovery from one of his many treatments or surgeries, he would watch cooking shows and make notes for preparation of dishes he would later try at home. His musical tastes ranged from heavy metal to country and he never missed a chance to poke fun at his parents for their "dumb" musical choices. He had a great sense of humor which was only matched by his wit and wisdom far beyond his years. He grabbed life by the throat, shook it, and took it head on--all while beating and surviving cancer four times. We will never know anyone who was stronger in mind, body and spirit. He would simply say, "It is what it is" and move on to the next challenging task or treatment. Alas, even Superman had his kryptonite and finally, silently, this proved to be his. Our hero has passed and we will never forget him. His young, vibrant spirit will live on in our hearts and minds. All of those who crossed his brief path were made better for it. He was a powerful firework, a brilliant cascade, loud and colorful and burning brightly but only for a short period of time. What a loss we have suffered, we can never be the same but can only celebrate and perpetuate his life by sharing his stories and experiences with those who we encounter in the future. We will, one day, all be together as the family we once were and never have to be concerned with any limits on the time we can spend in each other’s presence.

In addition to his parents and his wife Melissa, Joe is survived by his two brothers, Atty. Christopher M. Morelli of Newington and Atty. Steven D. Morelli and his wife Christie, of Glastonbury, his aunts and uncles, Carol Morelli and Robert Feldman of Hartford, Gail Lindsay of East Hartford and Joanne and Robert Thibodeau of Rocky Hill. He is also survived by his mother and father-in-law, Mary and Bruce Hodgins of Mansfield and his brother-in-law, Craig Hodgins of Mansfield. He is also survived by many cousins. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Joseph L. and Nancy Morelli of Hartford and Sadie and Sebastian Tarascio of Hartford. Joe will be deeply missed by everyone, but none more than Dexter and Gus, his two black cats, or "the boys" as he called them.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 15th at 10am in Christ the King Parish (Corpus Christi Church), 601 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, December 14th from 4 to 8 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.