Joseph Anthony Piliero

April 21, 1924 to June 19, 2016

Joseph Anthony Piliero was born on April 21, 1924 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, the youngest son of Estelle and Charles Piliero. An outgoing, gregarious person, he went by the nickname of “Flip” in his group of friends. Flip, AKA Joe Sr., enjoyed entertaining family and friends with numerous stories of his adventures growing up on the streets of New York during the Great Depression. It was common in New York in those days to raise pigeons on the rooftops of tenements in Manhattan, and this hobby spread to the suburbs, such as Flushing. Pigeons became his passion and he spent many hours for the rest of his life, caring for them and racing them.

When our country entered World War II, Joe’s mother gave permission for him to join the Navy at the young and impressionable age of 17, as did all the young men at the time who were able to enlist. He served in the European Theater, in the Merchant Marine, and experienced life and death situations during the bombing of London and Liverpool in World War II, and at numerous ports in Italy and Africa. For his part in in the Normandy Beach Invasion as a signalman on an LS 124, he was awarded a Purple Heart. Joe’s experiences and the extreme loss of life he witnessed there, led to a life-long interest in any and everything WWII related, as well as the political reasons our country had to enter into this devastating war.

Upon returning to New York after Peace was declared, he married Elizabeth Whelan, who he had known from childhood and lived on the next block over. Elizabeth (“Bess”) had become a Registered Nurse and served during the war as a Lieutenant in the Army, caring for the war-wounded in the Pacific theater, and at Army bases in the States. They made a home in West Islip, on Long Island, New York. Joe was employed in the U.S. Post Office, and Bess continued to work part-time as they raised their 3 children: Barbara Tyler, Geraldine Hazlett, and Joseph Patrick Piliero. Due to the severity of their son’s disabilities, and upon the advice of his doctors, who did not think he would survive long in the East coast climate, the family moved to California, always searching for a proper educational environment for their deaf son. In those days, Schools for the Deaf in California did not have to accept students with additional disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, and Joseph Patrick’s education was suffering. At great expense and personal sacrifice, they moved many times. When California was a disappointment, they tried Arizona, where it was difficult to support the family, and then to Utah, where Patrick was able to graduate from the Utah School for the Deaf. They then returned to California, and Joseph Anthony was proud of working for an Army colonel as a driver, until his retirement and ultimate move to Santa Maria/Orcutt, where they lived for over 25 years.

Joe Sr.’s lifelong involvement in politics and the community led to many positions, such as being a member of, and at one time President of, the Democratic Club in Santa Maria, and involvement with the Orcutt Senior Center and The Disabled American Veterans. He took his son on almost daily outings to keep him stimulated and interested in life. He served his son to the very best of his ability until his last days of life. He passed away at home on June 19, 3016. His son will continued to be cared for by his sister, Barbara.