Giuseppe Passanisi

OCTOBER 5, 1935 – JANUARY 25, 2026

IN THE CARE OF

Meadowlawn Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens

Giuseppe Passanisi was born on October 5, 1935, in Augusta, Sicily. He made his final voyage on January 25, 2026, at the age of 90. Captain Joe was a resident of the sea, who’s home port was Gulf Harbors, Florida.

Often called by Boy Scouts from all over the country, “the REAL most interesting man in the world”, he and his wife Rose touched so many young mens lives at the Boy Scouts Sea Base, Islamorada, Florida. A boy scout leader and artist once showed up at his son’s printing company in Ohio with a portrait of “Captain Joe”, he said Joe was one of the most interesting, enjoyable, colorful characters he had ever met.

His son was humbled beyond words and thought it best to share the Scout leaders portrait comments…

After a long, arduous career as a fishing boat captain in the freezing cold northern Atlantic, Captain Joe has now become a local legend in the Florida Keys. Captain Joe operates a charter sail boat for Boy Scout groups & families. He enthralls his guests with personal charm and wit. His true stories and "Almost True Stories" hypnotize young Scouts and their leaders. He is probably the last hero of a vanishing era. This gentle captain learned his traditional family trade as a boy, at his father's side in Italy. As a youth, Joe emigrated to Boston more than 40 years ago to work in the promised land... America. Now he and his wife Rosa (note Joe's tee shirt... Rosa Del Mar) live near a more hospitable sea. The most important aspects in Captain Joe's stories are unspoken personal qualities he unknowingly communicates with his tales: A genuine love of people, charity and humility.... Yes, when you meet "Captain Joe" and hopefully sail with him you will be a much richer person for those moments spent in the warm Caribbean..

Captain Joe touched thousands of lives, in the end, his hand movements were still mending and throwing the nets, some of his last days were going to “check the boats”, a man of the sea till the end.

He will go back to the sea, at his home port, as well as in the Florida Keys, Boston, Gloucester and back to Sicily, this was of his last requests.

As Captain Joe’s father once said, “everybody works, everybody eats”, everyone who knew Captain Joe understood that.

Celebration of life services are being scheduled in Captain Joe’s favorite docking locations, details to follow.