Joseph "Joe" J. Pandolfi

Joseph “Joe” Pandolfi, “Junkyard Joe”, 73, of South Daytona, Florida, and Wethersfield passed away as a result of a motorcycle accident on August 1, 2025, while vacationing in Sturgis, South Dakota and Lusk, Wyoming. He was the son of the late Ernest and Florence (Surri) Pandolfi. Joe grew up in Wethersfield and was focused on becoming a U. S. Marine. He joined when he was just 16 years old during the height of the Vietnam War. He was too young to be sent into battle and spent a large part of his enlistment aboard Naval Ships. Joe was extremely proud to be a Marine and loved his flag and his country. If you saw his Harley, you would understand his passion was motorcycles. Upon his discharge from the military, Joe worked for the United States Postal Service in Hartford, retiring to Daytona to live in the heart of motorcycle country. He was a lifelong member of the Harley Davidson HOG Club. Joe would ride 10,000 miles a year just to visit his many friends all over the U.S. In recent years, he rode with the love of his life, Kathleen “Kat” Marin. In addition to his HOG friends, Joe was an excellent pool player and played on several teams in Daytona, even going to Las Vegas to play in National Tournaments. Joe was loved and respected by tons of friends and family and will be greatly missed by all. Joe is survived by his fiancée Kathleen “Kat” Marin of South Daytona, Florida. Joe is also survived by his sister, Nancy (Ed) Magrogan of Old Saybrook; two brothers, Donald (Catherine) Pandolfi of Marlborough and Thomas (Pat) Pandolfi of Berkeley, California; his sister-in-law, Dorothy Pandolfi of Cromwell and lots of extended family. In addition to his parents, Joe was predeceased by his oldest brother, Ernest Pandolfi.

The family invites friends, relatives, and the biker community to a time of visitation on Saturday August 30, from 9:15-10 a.m. at St. John’s Church, 161 Main Street, Old Saybrook followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at the church. Burial with military honors will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in Middletown. Donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd. Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 woundedwarriorproject.org

The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield is entrusted with the arrangements.

For online expressions of sympathy please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com