Joseph Santo Vallone

Former Arlington, VA and Columbia, SC resident Joseph "Joe" Santo Vallone, 62, died unexpectedly on December 28, 2018, in Charlotte, NC, following surgical complications. Joe will be remembered by his family, friends, and anyone who knew him, as the ultimate gentleman and a dedicated family man. Joe was born on November 20, 1956, to Pasquale and Lillian Vallone in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 2001, Joe turned tragedy into triumph when he met his future wife Jolene (neé Henry) after the September 11 attacks, which heavily damaged Joe's Pentagon office, forced a relocation to the building where Jolene worked. The two married on October 12, 2003 in Fort Myer, VA. Joe fully embraced fatherhood and became a loving, supportive father to Jolene's daughter, Yvonne, "Voni." Joe grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from the City Polytechnic High School of Engineering in Brooklyn. Joe fell in love with architecture at Brooklyn Tech and decided to earn a degree in Architecture at City College of NY (CCNY). He began his stellar 38-year-Federal-civil-service career with the United States Army with the Corps of Engineers in Omaha, NE. During that time, he excelled in a wide array of projects in the Midwest. In 1992, Joe moved to the D.C. area, where he remained for the duration of his career. Eventually, Joe became the Director of the Army's Environmental Technology Program. At the end of his career, he worked in the Defense Department on environmental policy and issues related to military installations. Throughout his career, Joe was regarded as a highly competent professional who won the respect of both his peers and superiors. He dedicated himself to produce the best product he could and constantly promoted professional conduct. Joe is a graduate of both the Army War College in Carlisle, PA, and the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) in Charlottesville, VA. Joe earned numerous awards and recognition for excellence, including the prestigious Frank Pace Award for outstanding executive service, the Army's Commander's Award for Civilian Service, and the Meritorious and Superior Civilian Service Award. Both he and Jolene recently retired from lengthy careers in Federal civil service and moved to their beautiful home in Columbia. With his newfound free time, Joe planned on fly fishing, woodworking, flying remote control airplanes, traveling with his beloved wife, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on the South Carolina Gamecocks. There was little Joe liked better than conversation with a good friend. He was also a connoisseur of fine, single-malt Scotch, smooth cigars, and he was a cinema and World War II buff. Thoughtful, gracious, welcoming, loving, and quick with a joke, he was not your Average Joe. Joe will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him. He is survived by his wife, Jolene, daughter, Yvonne, his father, Pasquale, sister, Francesca "Fran," brother, Eric, sister-in-law Kristi, nephew Matthew DiPietro, and niece Luisa. He was predeceased by his mother Lillian.