Joe V. Siciliano Jr.
“THE LAST ACT” Joe V. Siciliano Jr. (Papa) 85 passed away February 18th of Congestive Heart Failure. Born in Salt Lake City, April 11, 1928, to Joseph V. Siciliano and Mary Arnone Siciliano. He married his love, Barbara M. Oliver on August 1, 1950, 64 years ago. Their wedding was held at our Divine Savior Catholic Church.
Joe was a graduate of South High, attended the University of Utah and has fond memories of his classmates of Hawthorne Grade School and South High. He was active in various sports of all kinds. Joe had special love for Italian opera. He took great pride in his opera collection with over 300 complete operas and over 5,000 single records. He spent many hours in his music room, playing records on his old Victrola machines and creating information books on some of the world’s greatest operatic vocalists. His early ambition was to be an opera singer, having sung in many church choirs and at the U of U (go Utes!)
As a young man, Joe worked for his father at the original Capri Italian Restaurant. After their closing, he became a Vice President at Walker Bank (a great bank) which later merged into 1st Interstate Bank and then Wells Fargo.
Joe leaves an amazing legacy of faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was proud that his entire family embraced that same faith in God. He had many fond memories of time spent with his family in Lake Tahoe and Jackson Hole. Not surprisingly, all such family gatherings were centered around mounds of pasta and meatballs. He was very proud of his Italian-American Heritage and the immigrants that worked hard to establish good lives for all their families in this great country.
At the age of three, Joe first met his wife-to-be, shortly after she was born. They have known each other for over 80 years. His heart was and is full of deep love for Barbara, a great lady, wife, and mother to his precious daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Do not weep my lady - my heart is always with you”.
Joe is preceded in death by parents and brother, Sam; He is survived by wife, Barbara, their daughters, Paula, Toni (Steve), Anna, Michelle (Ken), Jody; and his grandchildren, Tiffany (Darin), Santina, Michael (Haley), Christopher, Justin, Nick, Rachel; and great-grandchildren, Sophia and Siciliana; and brother Rocco.
Celebration of Life/Open House will be held from 6:30-8:30pm on Tuesday, February 25th at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City.
In lieu of flowers, may we suggest a donation in his name to the Heart Failure Clinic at the Intermountain Research & Medical Foundation. You may donate directly online at http://intermountainhealthcare.org/communitysupport/giving/researchmedicalfoundation or by mail at Intermountain Heart Institute 5121 S. Cottonwood Street, Murray, UT 84107
The family would like to express deep gratitude to The Heart Failure Clinic at IMC, The Intermountain Heart Institute and the fantastic hospice workers at Intermountain Homecare, especially, Ana, Nubia, and Bill and special friend, Gus.
Dad, this may be your final act on earth but the angels are singing as you enter eternity.