Joe was born March 1st, 1948 to Florence and Joseph Messana. He was raised in Astoria, Queens with his younger sister Mary with whom he kept a very tight relationship with. Holiday gatherings with Mary and her family were very important to Joe even though he often joked, “Where’s the coffee?”.
Joe was an army veteran who served his country from 1967 to 1973. After returning home from military service, he married Brigitte Woldmer and raised Jason and Jennifer. Joe took great pride in Jason’s speed and skill with ice hockey and often spoke about it years later. Joe also enjoyed his precious Sunday morning breakfasts with Jenny and watching their favorite show, Home Improvement.
Following his career in the army, Joe became a self-employed painter, who later joined the New York City Department of Transportation, where he had a 20 year career as a painter and facilities manager. In June of 2000, he married Catherine Mack and had two sons, Joseph and Anthony. Joe shared his love for bowling with his son Anthony, with whom he attended a junior-senior league. He spent time with Joey, in his home shop, teaching him the tricks of the trade in building and electrical skills. Joey is now pursuing a career using these skills.
Joe was blessed to have had his mother, Florence, live with the Messana family for many years as he attended to her needs. He made sure she had her crossword puzzles, word searches and all her favorite meals.
Nighttime at the Messana home was filled with family time. Joe would have a meal prepared as he waited for Cathy to return from work. Time afterwards was spent laughing in the family room and lighthearted competition over Jeopardy.
Joe was an excellent cook who enjoyed making his Sunday meal of Spaghetti and his famous meatballs. He took pride in remodeling projects, tending to his fish tanks and garden. Sadly, Joe was looking forward to Cathy's retirement in September and a lifetime together. He is survived by his wife Cathy, four children Jason, Jenny, Joey, and Anthony, Six grandchildren (Madison, Lexi, Jake),(Scotty, Jacob, Zoey)and sister, Mary.
A visitation for Joseph will be held Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Wanamaker & Carlough Funeral Home, 177 Route 59, Suffern, New York 10901. A funeral mass will occur Friday, July 30, 2021 at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart Church, 129 Lafayette Ave, Suffern, New York 10901. An interment will occur Friday, July 30, 2021 at Frederick Loescher Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 220 Brick Church Road, New Hempstead, New York 10977.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations in Joseph's honor to the American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/?form=legacy&s_src=21U8W1EEMM&s_subsrc=honmem_sem&msclkid=39bfecaffb181b75b57a8daf9015d05e&gclid=39bfecaffb181b75b57a8daf9015d05e&gclsrc=3p.ds
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wanamakercarlough.com for the Messana family.Joseph Messana died unexpectedly on July 26th at 11:55 pm in Suffern, NY.
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