Joseph DeSalvo

peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. He was 81.Joe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the late Sebastian

and Giralama DeSalvo.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Elaine; three beloved sons and their families: Michael

DeSalvo, D.M.D. and his fiancée, Denice Steskal, of Doylestown, Pa., Stephen DeSalvo and his wife,

Jennifer, of Glen Rock, N.J., and Robert DeSalvo and his partner, Anita Blum, of Hoboken, N.J.; grandchildren, Nicholas, Christopher, Ashley, Kevin, Jack and Grace DeSalvo; sisters, Teresa DeSalvo of Maspeth, N.Y. and Phyllis Stehling of Red Hook, N.Y.; and his goddaughter, Debra Messina, M.D. of Southold, N.Y.He is also survived by several beloved cousins and nephews.

Joe graduated from St. John's Preparatory School in Queens, Marquette University and Temple University School of Dentistry. Following graduation, Dr. DeSalvo served as Captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He served stateside at Travis AFB as a dental officer for three years.

He returned to Philadelphia to pursue advance study of Oral Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania

School of Dental Medicine. He did his internship and residency at the former Philadelphia General

Hospital. In 1971, Dr. DeSalvo set up practice in Bucks County, Pa. He practiced Oral and

Maxillofacial Surgery in Doylestown, Sellersville and Quakertown. He was proud to have his son, Michael,

join him in his practice in 1994 and they worked together until he retired at the end of 1999.

During his distinguished career Joe was an active staff member for over 25 years at Doylestown, Grand

View and Quakertown (St. Luke's-Quakertown) Hospitals. He was one of the first surgeons to perform

skeletal corrective facial surgery in Bucks County. Dr. DeSalvo served on the executive board and as

President of the Delaware Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Society. He was a lifetime member of the American Dental Association and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Joe was naturally a die hard Brooklyn Dodgers fan and passionately told stories

about his favorite players, the day he first watched Jackie Robinson take the field and of course about

the time the Brooklyn Dodgers finally beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. A teenager in the

'50s, he amassed an impressive collection of 45's, which he played for his sons and instilled in them a

love of Rock 'n' Roll history. Joe was a month old when his parents took him to Shelter Island, N.Y., and he summered there throughout his life. In 1984, he purchased a summer home on Westmoreland Drive. His father Sebastian taught Joe to fish and dig for clams on the Island, and he never tired of these pursuits. Joe was thrilled to share these passions with his family and friends and the outings were always followed with memorable dinners of the day's catch. Turning to land, Joe was a skilled vegetable gardener, so much so that Burpee Seed Company filmed a commercial with his vegetable garden as the backdrop. The family was never without fresh vegetables and fresh tomato sauce for Sunday pasta dinners.

Joe also developed a strong passion for hunting and his sons couldn't wait to be old enough to join him in

this pursuit. Many Fall afternoons were spent alongside his sons and his friends as his beloved Brittany

Spaniels worked the fields. Most people who make their living with their hands wouldn't turn to woodworking as a hobby, but pushing risk aside Joe committed himself to learning the art of furniture building and established a wellequipped workshop. Joe enjoyed building furniture and other woodcraft items in his spare time, and further enjoyed giving away his handcrafted items to his family and friends. He would have built more woodcrafts if his attention could be diverted from his golf game. Joe loved playing golf and he and Elaine frequently traveled to golf destinations and built many friendships along the way. He was a member of Doylestown Country Club and Gardiner's Bay Country Club on Shelter Island. A fine round of golf was often capped with a fine bottle of wine from Joe's wine collection. Add this to the list of hobbies and passions that Joe dedicated his time and effort to research and enjoy.

A memorial service will be held at St. Leo Catholic

Church in Bonita Springs, Fla. at a later date.

Memorial contributions in his name can be made

to the Parkinson's Association of Southwest Florida,

2575 Northbrooke Plaza Dr., Building 500, Suite 301,

Naples, FL 34119.