Joseph Anthony Guzzetta

Joseph Anthony Guzzetta of Denver, CO passed away on April 29, 2025 surrounded by loving family. Joe was born in Medford, MA on July 6, 1939 to Rose (Petrucci) Guzzetta and Frank Guzzetta. He and his younger brother, Francis, grew up in Quincy, MA in a close-knit family proud of their Italian heritage. In Quincy, Joe worked with his father in the family business, Joseph Frank Manufacturing Co. He graduated from Quincy High School in 1957, then earned a BA in Biology from UMASS Amherst in 1961. At UMASS, Joe was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity and enjoyed working as a Biology teaching fellow there before medical school. He continued on to the University of Vermont for medical school, graduating in 1966, where he met his beautiful wife, a nurse, Janet Entrup. They married on June 30, 1966 and Joe began his residency in Radiology at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Joe and Janet started their family in 1968 with the birth of their son, Stephen Joseph, and two years later, a daughter, Karen Marie. Shortly after Karen was born, Joe served as an Army major during the Vietnam War in Landstuhl, Germany, working as a radiologist at the hospital there. He was honorably discharged in 1973 and returned to the United States. The family settled in Gardner, MA where Janet gave birth to their third child, Leane Elizabeth, in 1974.

Joe began work as a radiologist at Heywood Hospital in Gardner, eventually becoming the Chief of Radiology. Joe’s deep love of learning was apparent in his work, as when the first CT Scanner and MRI equipment were brought in under his leadership. He became close friends with his fellow doctors as well as many others in the community. He always looked forward to golf trips and poker nights with friends. He was active in the community as a member of the Chair City Club and Monomonock Club. Joe loved traveling with his family, taking them on many memorable vacations. Once his kids were grown, he enjoyed traveling with his wife, friends, brother Francis, and Francis’ spouse, Paul. He was always active and loved hiking, walking, swimming, and going to the gym.

After retirement, Joe and Janet moved to Denver, CO in 2010 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: meeting friends at the gym, walking his granddogs, eating an apple after lunch, taking a daily nap, and watching any and all sports, both on TV and his grandkids’ games. He loved to read and do practice SAT questions and the daily Wordle to keep his brain sharp. Joe also volunteered his time helping those in need, working on the Church of the Risen Christ food truck.

His family and friends would all describe him the same way: gentle, kind, brilliant, selfless, and humble, while his wife and kids would add that he was certainly set in his ways and a bit of a cheapskate, but was the best father and husband anyone could ask for. Joe was incredibly stoic and never complained, right until the end when ALS was robbing him of his ability to move and breathe.

Remaining to cherish his memory are his wife, Janet of Denver, his children: Stephen (and spouse Denise) of Sioux Falls, SD, Karen (and spouse Jim) of Englewood, CO, and Leane (and spouse Tim) of Denver, CO. He also leaves his brother, Francis (and spouse Paul) of Washington, DC, as well as several cousins. He was a proud Grampy to five amazing grandchildren–Jamison and Caroline Poate (Leane and Tim), Tommy Sitter (Karen and Jim), and Ava and Julianna Guzzetta (Stephen and Denise). His memorial service will be held at Advantage Runyon-Stevenson Funeral Home in Lakewood, CO on May 12, 2025 at 9am, followed by interment of ashes at Fort Logan Cemetery with full military honors at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The American Brain Foundation: americanbrainfoundation.org, which invests in research across the whole spectrum of brain diseases including ALS and Alzheimer’s disease.