oseph “Big Joe” Carollo, 85, of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, died June 19, 2019 at his home. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 9, 1934, he and his wife of 57 years, Sharon, raised their three children in Oak Lawn, Illinois, where Joe worked as a mechanic for Ford his entire adult life. Upon retiring, Joe and Sharon moved to Bradenton, Florida, to be nearer to family and enjoy the beautiful weather.
With a huge appreciation for music and good cigars, and an ever-present smile on his face, Joe brought light to all who knew him. He was witty, fun and loved to laugh. He was a loving husband, a wonderful father and a devoted grandfather of four grandchildren.
Joe is pre-deceased by his parents, George and Lena Carollo; his brother, Santo (Pat) Carollo; and his sisters, Genevieve Piaskowy, Lena (Tim) Vaughn and Charlotte (Adolf) Simon. Mr. Carollo is survived by his loving wife, Sharon; his three sons Tom (Stacey) Carollo, Scott Carollo and Rick (Angelic) Carollo; his four grandchildren Joseph (Joey) Carollo, Nicholas (Nick) Carollo, Shelby Carollo and Brianna Carollo; and his brother-in-law, Wally Piaskowy.
A celebration of Joe’s life will take place Friday, June 28, at Robert Toale & Sons Funeral Home at Manasota Memorial Park, 1221 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton, FL., 34203. Visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 5:00 p.m. The family requests that donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in lieu of flowers http://bit.ly/DonatetoStJude
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