Joseph Calderone

Joseph Calderone was born at home in Monessen, Pennsylvania on December 26th, 1934. He entered into rest at his home in Mesa, Arizona on July 21st, 2018. He was preceded in death by his eldest infant son, Steven Joseph Calderone and his grandson Dominic Joseph Calderone. He is survived by his wife of 62 years Grace Dianne (née deVos), his five children, Stephanie Pacheco (Porfirio), Joel Anthony (Carolyn), Dianne Marie, Dominic (Kimberly), Marguerite, nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and proudly served his country for 20 years. He served in the Korean War from 1952 to 1953. He served a second tour of duty in South Korea from 1963 to 1964 and had two tours of duty in the United Kingdom. Retiring as a Master Sargent in 1974, Joseph was on flying status for 13 years with the 2nd Airborne Command and Control Squadron (ACCS), Strategic Air Command. He flew on EC-135 aircraft supporting Operation Looking Glass missions out of Lakenheath Air Force Base (AFB), Mildenhall AFB and Offutt AFB. Operation Looking Glass served as the Airborne Command Post and provided global communications with command and control of all U.S. nuclear forces. Upon his honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 1974, Joseph attended Mesa Community College and Arizona State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science in 1980. He worked at Work Force Development for 25 years, retiring in 1999 as the director of the Eastern Training Center for Maricopa County, Arizona. Joseph was a good son to his parents, Sally and Robert Calderone, and was a caring and good husband and father. He always had his family as his first priority. A Rosary will be held Monday July 30th at 6pm at Melcher Mission Chapel Mortuary, located at 6625 E. Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85205. A Mass to celebrate Joseph’s life will be held at All Saints Catholic Church, 1534 North Recker Road, Mesa, Arizona, 85205 at 10:00 AM on July 31st, 2018. Interment will be held immediately after Mass at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona located at 23029 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85024.