Joseph Bumbacco

Beloved and treasured husband of Betty-Lou Bumbacco (née Nystedt). Loving son of the late Filomena Giorgi (late Guerrino) and the late Joseph Bumbacco. Cherished son-in-law of the late Helen Nystedt and the late Harry Nystedt. Proud and devoted father of Carl (Rita) Bumbacco, George (Peggy) Bumbacco, Jean Louise Bumbacco, Jo-Anne Bumbacco, La-Na (Frank) Fragomeni, and Anthony Bumbacco (Debbie).

Adored Grandpa of Carly Bumbacco (Joe), the late Luke Bumbacco, Jory Bumbacco (Chelsea), Amy Bumbacco (Collin), Crystal MacIntosh (Keith), the late Michael Williamson, Bradley Williamson, Justin Williamson (Jen), Nikki Bouchard (Josh), Alanie Fillman (Bobby), Aaron Bumbacco, Kailen and Liam Bumbacco-Franz. Proud Great-Grandpa of Memphis, Beth, Frankie, Rocco, Harley, Zyia, Louisa, Emma, Grayson, and Kendra. Brother of Louise Murphy (late Jim). Brother-in-law of the late Richard Nystedt (Debbie), the late Dennis Nystedt (Janice), and Curtiss Nystedt (Rosemary). Joe is predeceased by his aunts and uncles, Antoinette Orlando, Anna Whalen, Ignatius Dodoro, Louie “Jack” Dodoro, and Joseph “Knox” Dodoro, along with his many cousins. Special uncle to many nieces and nephews, including Scott (Lorrina Del) the late Eric, Mike (Shelly), Gord (Jen), Dan (Val), Hillary (Sina) and Garrett Nystedt (Jeannette).

Joe treasured his lifelong friendship "extended family" with all of the Rainone family and was deeply grateful to all those who checked in on him and supported him over the years.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the entire care team at SAH and offers special appreciation to Liz and Susie for their kindness, patience, and compassionate care. Sincere thanks are also extended to all the staff of Birch Lane 1 at the F.J. Davey Home.

Memorial donations (payable online or by cheque) may be made to the F.J. Davey Home, SAH - Cancer Care or to the Alzheimer Society would be appreciated by the family.

Friends may visit the Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington Street East; 705-759-2522) on Thursday, July 2, 2026, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm and on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Funeral service to follow in the chapel at 3:00 pm., Rev. Trevor Scarfone officiating. Friends are invited to view the service online anytime up to 90 days, go to www.funeraweb.tv and select Joseph's name. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery at a later date.

We are all stories waiting to be told, and Joe leaves behind countless memories and footprints from his life's journey. He was an incredibly hard worker and a man ahead of his time. The last few years were a great struggle for him, and now we pray that he has found peace.

May his spirit soar.

With so much love, from Fred to Wanda—also known as Joe and Betty-Lou.

When I think of my Grandpa, I don’t just think of one person. I think of the foundation of our family. He wasn’t just the man we looked up to; he was the one who quietly held us all together. Strong, dependable, hardworking, and full of love in ways that didn’t always need words.

My grandpa believed in hard work. It wasn’t something he talked about it was something he lived every single day. He dedicated his life to construction, spending many years with Rainone Construction, helping build more than just homes and buildings. He built a legacy of integrity, dedication, and pride in doing a job the right way. He taught all of us that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing with your whole heart.

Not everyone knows this, but before construction, Grandpa was also a hairstylist. He even did the hair . I always thought that was such a cool part of his story, especially because I became a hairstylist too. I like to think that maybe I inherited a little bit of his creativity, his attention to detail, and his ability to make people feel good about themselves. It’s a connection that I’ll treasure forever.

But no job title could ever define who he really was.

To Grandpa, family was everything.

The greatest love story I’ve ever witnessed was the one between him and my Grandma Betty. The way he loved her was quiet, constant, and unwavering. She wasn’t just his wife she was his best friend, his partner, and the center of his world. Everything he did was with her in mind. Watching the two of them together showed us what true love, loyalty, and lifelong commitment really looked like.

He also had a way of making people feel cared for in the smallest, most meaningful ways. Some of my favorite memories are waking up after sleeping over at Grandma and Grandpa’s house to find that he’d gone out early to bring back coffee and Long Johns for everyone. It wasn’t about the coffee or the donuts

it was about the thought behind it. That’s who Grandpa was. He showed his love through his actions. He made sure the people around him were looked after, comfortable, and knew they mattered.

Grandpa was the kind of man people respected instantly. He was dependable. Honest. Strong. If you needed help, he was there. If something was broken, he’d fix it. If life got hard, he reminded you that you kept going. He didn’t look for recognition because he didn’t need it. His character spoke louder than words ever could.

To so many people, he was a friend, a coworker, a neighbour, or family. But to us, he was our hero. He was the person we counted on, the one whose presence made every family gathering feel complete. His laugh, his stories, his wisdom, his strength those are things that can never be replaced.

People often say that legends never die because their legacy lives on, and if that has ever been true about someone, it’s true about Grandpa.

His legacy lives on in every lesson he taught without even realizing it. It lives on in every hardworking hand in this family. It lives on in every act of kindness, every sacrifice made for family, every moment we choose love, loyalty, and dedication because that’s what he showed us.

Although our hearts are broken today, we are also incredibly lucky. Lucky to have known him. Lucky to have been loved by him. Lucky to have had someone so remarkable to call our Grandpa.

Thank you, Grandpa, for showing us what strength looks like. Thank you for teaching us the value of hard work, humility, and unconditional love. Thank you for every early morning coffee, every smile, every lesson, and every memory you’ve given us.

You were truly one of a kind. A husband who adored his wife. A father and grandfather who loved his family with everything he had. A hardworking man. A role model. A legend.

You may no longer be with us, but the life you built, the family you cherished, and the love you gave will continue through all of us.

We will miss you every single day. We will speak your name often. We will tell your stories for generations to come.

And as long as we do, a part of you will always be with us.

We love you forever. Rest peacefully, Grandpa...Love Nikki

Spoken by La-Na

The Man the Myth the Legend, that was Joe Bumbacco with stories for days, people that loved and respected him. His wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, chosen family, coworkers and friends

When I sat down to think about how to describe my dad, one question kept coming to mind.

Imagine having someone in your life who is your rock, your foundation, your provider. The person who fixes everything—whether it's broken, falling apart, or maybe wasn't even supposed to be fixed in the first place. The person who lifts you up when you're down, but at the same time challenges you to stand on your own two feet. Someone who teaches you to hold your head high, jump in with both feet, work hard, stay dedicated, and never give up.

That was Dad.

He wasn't perfect—but he was perfect for us.

Dad was larger than life. He had a personality that filled every room, and yes...a voice that could fill every room too. Some people were terrified when they heard him booming away. I wasn't—but I do remember one particular day when he went to see Lesley at CHS. There was so much "yelling" going on that the new secretary was ready to hit the panic button because she thought Lesley was being attacked. That was just Dad talking. Once you knew him, you knew there was usually a whole lot of passion behind that booming voice.

People often misunderstood him. The truth is, people got from Dad exactly what they put out to him. If you treated him with respect, kindness, and honesty, you'd find one of the most generous men you'll ever meet. But don't mistake kindness for weakness—he expected the same respect in return.

Dad had his own language too. We all know the crazy things he said “I am going to shears to get some. Long Johns that don't "strink." Or it’s up there on "turd line." …am i right or am I wrong? If you worked with Dad you would have a thought him a very religious man as you could always hear him echo the words “Jesus Christ Almighty” but that may have been your time to pray …lol

Dad always gave safe advice

He would always say “am I right or am I wrong” and not because he thought he was wrong

I believe he was very confident in what he was saying

It was his way of making sure you were understanding and engaged in the conversation

His mission for ppl was they worked hard and got what they deserved from that hard work

He was a mountain of a man but a very sentimental man and loved hugs. He truly wanted the people in his life to be happy.

Am I right or am I wrong? That is a Joe question through and through!

Then there was one of my favorite stories, Fred and Wanda.

For those who don't know, Fred and Wanda were actually my parents. One day they were having a bit of a disagreement, but they had somewhere important to be. Rather than continue arguing with each other, they started saying, "Okay Fred..." and "Whatever Wanda..." Somehow, those names stuck. From then on, Fred and Wanda became their alter egos whenever they needed to keep the peace.

Dad loved that story so much that every birthday, every Christmas, every Valentine's Day, he'd buy two cards and a bouquet of white roses with one red one in the middle—one for his wife, and one for his sweetheart. One for Betty-Lou and one for Fred's girl Wanda.

That was Dad. He found humour in life.

All kidding aside he truly loved mom and that showed, so many people talk about the way he looked at her, he took care of her unlike anything I have ever seen, he doted on her and she is all he ever wanted, asking for her nonstop while in hospital. …he would hold her hand like a badge of honour, every morning dad went for coffee with the boys then drove back home to leave a coffee on the island for her to have when she got up, he had an answering service set up that also called with wake up calls for work, Mom has never even had to put gas in her car it was always just done. He was an amazing dancer and loved to spin her around the floor. Although he worked all day, they always made time to sit for a bit in the evening and have a sip of brandy, discuss the day they had, share stories about the children and grandchildren and a special moment about whatever the day brought….she was his everything.

He also did everything his own way.

If he thought something would work, then that was the plan. Need a bigger bathroom? Sure...just build a bump out on the outside wall of the house and put the tub in that will work. Christmas week? Perfect time for demolition.

If you ever mentioned something that needed fixing, you had to be very careful. I once casually said to my 83 year old father "Dad, the roof on my shed that you built seems to have a loose metal shingle. He responded with “I'll get someone to look at it."

Next thing I know, he sends me inside to get him something to drink. When I came back...there he was, on the roof fixing it himself. I was trying to convince him to come down while secretly taking pictures. He didn't say a word until both feet were safely back on the ground.

Then he looked at me and said, "If you show that picture to your brothers, there's going to be hell to pay."

That was Dad too.

He worked harder than anyone I've ever known. Those hands had years of grit and hard work behind them…dad’s crew would often tell stories of them at the work site and those words to make you pray would come out….then he would be down in the hole working and they would be watching him, if you want something done right you got to do it yourself”

Most people retire in their sixties. Dad worked until he was 83 years old. And then—because apparently retirement wasn't enough—he enrolled in computer classes the very next day because he wanted to learn something new. He always said, "You've got to keep your mind busy. When you stop, that's when you get sick."

There might have been something to that theory because if COVID hadn't interrupted those classes, I honestly think he'd still be learning today.

Dad wore more hats than most people could imagine.

He was a professional hairstylist and colorist. He sold hair products. He installed windows and siding. He worked construction. He supervised construction. He owned businesses like the Fireside Inn and Bumbacco’s Exterior . He was a restaurateur. He hosted country music shows with Nashville’s finest at the time. He loved country legends like Jack Greene, Dottie West, the Bellamy Brothers, and Little Jimmy Dickens. Somehow, along the way...he even had a connection to bringing in some let’s just say “dancers”. Only Dad could have a résumé that included all of those things.

He was a visionary before many people understood his ideas.

He simply found a way.

Dad loved hard.

He gave freely.

He would absolutely give you the shirt off his back—but don't ever disrespect that kindness.

If there's one thing I hope we all do in his memory, it's this: do something kind for someone else. Help someone who can't repay you. Fix something for a neighbor. Buy someone lunch. Give your time. That would honour him more than almost anything else.

Our family was lucky enough to have kids spread over ten years—from Carl, the oldest, to Anthony, the youngest. The truth is, each of us got a different version of Dad. As he grew, we grew. We each have different stories, different memories, different lessons. But every version of him loved us in his own way, and he was incredibly proud of each one of us. He would boast about what each of us was doing to anyone that would listen, tell stories of our accomplishments and definitely recommend each of us for a job that someone needed done.

His grandchildren are his greatest joy, he is so proud of each and every one of you. Your successes and even your fails (those are teachable moments) He watched from the sidelines with his heart beating out of his chest with pride. he always tried not to be in the way but an invitation to do something with you made him move mountains so that he could have time with you and a story to tell about it.

He may not have spent his weekends sitting through dance, baseball , soccer or hockey tournaments. Work was what he knew. Work was how he showed love. But if you truly needed him, he would be there.

And if you ever questioned his strength, Well just ask …Anthony lol.

Strong like bull.

I also want to acknowledge my siblings for the love, care, time, and devotion you gave Dad over these last year’s meant everything. He was fortunate to have everyone beside him. The grandchildren for making time to lighten his day and bring him joy.

And to all of Dad's friends like the Rainone and Doucette families , dads "girlfriends" my crew of friends, and their children that loved him like their own—and made sure everything was in order for him, his wonderful team of friends and caregivers who looked after him, checked in on him, and made sure he was okay—thank you. You brought comfort, companionship, and laughter into his days, and our family will always be grateful.

To all those that travelled to be with us today and those watching from the live stream we are truly touched …mom would want you to know how special that is.

Dad made mistakes. He fell. But every single time, he got back up, dusted himself off, and kept going. That's the legacy he leaves us—not perfection, but perseverance.

He taught us to work hard, to love fiercely, to be generous, to stand on our own feet, and never be afraid to jump in with both feet.

Make sure you take care of each other he would say….He was passionate about being one family and making sure that we all continue to get along, that was want he wanted most and talked about it endlessly.

We'll miss his voice. We'll miss his stories. We'll miss his stubbornness. We'll even miss wondering what project he'd decided to start next.

Mostly, we'll miss him.

Thank you, Dad.

For being our rock.

For always finding a way.

We love you.

And we always will.

Now in true dad spirt… let’s go for coffee……YOU ALL NEED …GET BACK TO WORK