Joseph Joe Bordonaro

Joseph “Joe” Bordonaro, 86, of Hartford, devoted husband for 51 years of the late Lucille (Formica) Bordonaro, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Hartford Hospital and is now reunited with his beloved Lucille. Born on March 29, 1930 in Canicattni Bagni, province of Siracusa, Sicily, he was the son of the late Sebastiano and Adelaide (Cordone) Bordonaro. Today we share with you and amazing man, a man who came from Sicily and started an entire generation of Sicilians in CT. He met and married Lucille after knowing each other for only several days. A few days after their wedding, with a few dollars in his pocket and a dream of a new beginning, they moved to the United States, and Joe then brought his many brothers and sister to the U.S for a better life. He and Lucille settled in Hartford, where he took a job at MDC as a laborer and slowly moved up in his career due to the simple fact that he wanted more. He drove tractors and machinery. Joe installed approximately 80% of the fire hydrants and piping that are in Hartford today. His work will be seen for many years to come. The long hours and many years of overtime and dedication got him to a better place in life-not some piece of paper or college degree. He was a member of the Canicattini Bagni Club and the Italian American Stars, both in Hartford. A loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Joe will be dearly missed by his daughter, Nina Inghilterra and husband Giovanni of Glastonbury; his two adored grandsons, Steven and John Michael Inghilterra and two cherished great-grandchildren, Isabella and Anthony Inghilterra. He is also survived by his brother, Salvatore Bordonaro and wife Lucia of Rocky Hill; sister, Guiseppina Mangiafico and husband Salvatore of Newington; sister-in-law, Pina Bordonaro of Hartford and many nieces, nephews and extended family members in Italy. In addition to his wife and parents, Joe was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Jean Formica and his brother, Antonio Bordonaro. Joe deserves everyone’s prayers and thanks regardless if you believe in God or not-if it wasn’t for immigrants like him and the Americans today that work hard against the naysayers telling them it’s not your time or you’re not educated enough, we wouldn’t have a place to call the United States of America.

Funeral service will be Saturday at 9:15 a.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Church, 10 Campfield Ave., Hartford. Burial will be in Rose Hill Memorial Park, Rocky Hill. Calling hours are Friday from 4-8 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel. To share a memory of Joe with his family, please visit www.desopo.com.