Giosue DiDonna

Giosue DiDonna… He was a loving husband, father, and nonno. He was a man of very few words but impactful in his actions with everyone. As many called him Joe here in the US, to his family and place of birth in Italy, they called him Gino. Gino always lived his own life, never steered by anyone, but always looked upon the heavens to help guide his path.

Gino has always been and will always be an inspiration, mentor, and role model. He’s always embraced change in life, whether it was heartbreaking or exciting; he never took pause to any situation, only the next step forward. He always showed strength to keep all his loved ones in good spirits no matter the circumstances from childhood to adulthood. This allowed everyone to handle any sorrows or happiness in the most beautiful ways.

He was a man of many stories; he always loved telling stories of his world travels from Italy. From the Australian waters to Venezuela to the Panama Canal to the Red Sea and anywhere far and between.

The one story that resonates and will resonate for many generations was his act of valor! Gino was an engineer and worked on both commercial and passenger ships. One day aboard a passenger ship, he encountered a catastrophic event or should I say stopped it. The ship he was on accidentally veered off track and bottomed out on the ocean bed. Well, long story short, the ship operated with steam engines, a valve was not opening to release pressure upon impact, all the passengers, mechanics, and engineers panicked and began evacuating the ship. Mostly all were running away from the problem. Gino ran into the fire with his peers yelling to him to turn around that the tanks were about to explode, but he continued to the bottom of the ship. He reached the valves and manually opened them to relieve the pressure, saving countless lives that probably wouldn’t have made it off.

There is so much he did in life with his wife, kids, and grandkids. He always made jokes, played with the kids, and was always home for dinner at the table. That’s the one thing most important to him was his family; he was always there and will always be there in our hearts.The most inspirational person you can ever meet; if you never met him, he would change you without you even knowing. He was a man that undoubtedly loved his family, traveled the world, and embraced change. We could only wish to be the man he was, an angel sent from the heavens to guide people doing the right thing and enjoying life with happiness and love.

There is so much more to be written, but like the man he was, it’s not about the words but how you impact others while we are here. Please, in today’s world, we take things for granted…put that phone down, don’t worry about the little things. Look at your loved ones, hug them, tell them stories of your life’s journey, and always be there for them no matter what obstacles come your way. One last thing he would want you to know: fill the jar with large rocks and then fill it with sand.

Visitation will be held at Harmon Funeral Home, 571 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310, US, on June 4, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Saint Roch Roman Catholic Church, 602 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302, on June 4, 2026, from 11:00 am to 11:45 am.