Joseph Poto

Guiseppe “Joseph” Poto was born on May 21, 1931 as the first son of Francesco and Angela (Tancredi) Poto.  Joe was born in the small town of Castelcivita, in the Province of Salerno, in the Campania region of south-western Italy.

As a young boy, Joe worked on the family farm with his younger brother Nick. Once a young man, Joe went off to boarding school to obtain his teaching credentials.

After completing his education, he went back home to marry the love of his life, Teresa Vecchio, daughter of Antonio and Angela (Scotillo) Vecchio of the neighboring town of Controne, Italy. The two married on April 7, 1951, and honeymooned in Rome. They were married nearly 59 years.

In the summer of 1951, with his wife pregnant with their first child, Joe was offered a sponsorship to emigrate to Toronto, Canada. Eager to make a better life for his ensuing family, at the age of 20, Joe sailed to America!

Joe found gainful employment with Sunbeam Corporation Canada, and subsequently was able to rent an apartment. Meanwhile, back in Italy, his wife gave birth to their first daughter Angela.

Proving that he was not a burden to the Canadian government, Joe began to sponsor his family to emigrate from Italy. His wife, daughter and mother-in-law arrived in the summer of 1952. Eventually, Joe and his family would sponsor his parents, brother, cousins and numerous in-laws to emigrate from Italy. Toronto would become everyone’s new home!

Families prospered while in Toronto. Joe and Teresa gave birth to three daughters:  Ann Marie, Fran and Josie.  The family was surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.  

Over time, the winter months became brutal, and the family longed for warmer weather.  In the summer of 1962, Joe loaded the family station wagon with his girls, and headed west to California.

While in California, Joe and Teresa gave birth to two sons:  Nick and Tony. Joe began a 32-year career as Chief Inspector for Hi-Shear Corporation, a subcontractor to aerospace conglomerates Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Through hard work and determination, Joe built a reputation as an expert in product assurance, and was an innovator in the aerospace fastener industry. He retired in 1994.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife Teresa, brother Nick Poto, daughter Ann Marie Poto and son Anthony Joseph Poto.

Joe is survived by his three daughters Angela Chacon (Guillermo), Fran Garcia (George) and Josie Dougherty (Craig), son Nick Poto, three grandchildren John Kaminski (Samantha), Teresa Kaminski and Vanessa Dougherty (Ryan McMullan), and three great-grandchildren Talyn Kaminski, Ashlinn Kaminski and Eastyn Kaminski.

The name Guiseppe means “God Will Add”.  Joe added to this world—making it a better place.  He will live on in our hearts forever.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.funerariadelangelanaheim.com for the Poto family.