Joseph Somma Jr.

Joseph Somma Jr., 87, from Lakewood Ranch, FL died peacefully at his daughter’s home on August 4th, 2021. He was born on September 18th, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY, the son of Joseph Somma Sr. and Yolanda Piazza Somma.

Joseph graduated from Boys High School in Brooklyn. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War from 1953-1957. Following his military service, he worked at the Associated Press in New York City where he enjoyed a 41-year career as a personnel executive. Joe married the love of his life, Elizabeth Stender Somma, on May 15th, 1965. They were married until her death on April 29th, 2000.

He was a faithful member of Bethlehem Church and served in various roles including Deacon for 25 years, Sunday School Teacher, Usher, and Treasurer. When he moved to Florida, Joe quickly became involved in his new home church, Harvest Chapel, where he served as a Deacon and Treasurer. He also was faithful in serving in the Nursing Home ministry.

Joseph was an avid sports fan and his favorite teams were his beloved New York Giants, the Mets, the Rangers and the Brooklyn Dodgers. He also enjoyed traveling around the world with his wife Liz and family.

Joseph was known for his generosity in helping missionaries and those in need.

In addition to his parents and his wife Liz, he was predeceased by his sisters Josephine Tauss, Celia Grosso and brothers Daniel Somma and Salvatore Somma.

Joseph is survived by his daughter, Ruth (Everhart) and son-in-law, Glen; his daughter, Beth (Malave) and son-in-law, Steve, and his son, Stephen Somma. Also survived by grandchildren, Rachel, Matthew, Christopher, AJ, Avery, Aiden, Sigourney, Lydia and Charlotte.

Joe is also survived by his identical twin brother, David Somma and his wife Margaret; his sister Rose Crivelli; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Sabby and Louise Cancemi, and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Joseph Somma’s memory to Tidewell Hospice or the Gideons International or World Vision.

Joe Somma, AP personnel executive for 41 years, dies at 87

Joe Somma, who helped track the hires, transfers, retirements and deaths of Associated Press staffers around the world in a 41-year AP career, has died at the age of 87.

Somma served as an AP personnel executive at AP headquarters at 50 Rockefeller Plaza in New York from 1957 until his retirement in 1998. He died in Florida, said his nephew Richard Somma (Email), a 27-year AP veteran who works in the news department’s Nerve Center in New York.

"The Joe Somma I knew and trusted and relied on was a quiet man who I never heard shout about anything but always ready, pencil in hand, to complete whatever task we gave him," recalled Lou Boccardi, AP president and CEO from 1984 to 2003.

"I remember well his lightly penciled 'S/B' -- standing for 'Should Be' -- his classic way of telling us that something in what he was ferreting out for us was amiss. No big show, no flashy red circles, no look-what-I-found. just Joe Somma setting things right. He served us well.”

Richard Somma said his uncle “took a lot of pride in his decades-long career at the AP. While he was quiet and reserved, kind of like me, he was not afraid to express his opinions when something was wrong or needed attention. He was a hard worker, kind and generous, and will be missed by many people.”

Somma "was a great guy and had a wonderful family," said retired Human Resources executive Bruce Richardson, who noted that Somma's work "was long before computers got involved but his department adapted well when computers entered the picture."

Evelyn Colucci-Calvert, AP retirement plan manager in New York, said she worked with Somma from the time she started with AP in 1973 until his retirement.

"Most of my dealings with Joe were done prior to the computer age," she said. "All new hires, deaths, transfers and retirement notifications were done on a yellow form called Addition-Deletion-Transfer. It’s a shame Joe never got to share in our current data system, SAP. He would have loved it. No more paper."

Joe and his brother David (Richard's father) were twins. (Joe is at left, proudly wearing an AP jacket, in this photo of them.) David Somma worked for the Federal Aviation Administration at various airports including Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and Long Island MacArthur Airport until his retirement. Both were both deacons at Bethlehem Church, in Richmond Hill, Queens. Joe's wife Elizabeth was the church organist until her death in 2000.

Somma, a native of North Port, Fla., is survived by three children – Ruth Everhart, Beth Malave and Stephen Somma – and nine grandchildren.