Joseph Padovan

Joseph Padovan was a beloved husband to Rosa for almost 60 years, a loving father to John and Umberto and a beloved grandfather to Pano, Valentina, Luca, Francesca and Johnny. Joseph was born in Lussinpiccolo (Mali Lošinj), a small island on the Adriatic coast in Croatia, to Francesca and Giovanni Padovan. As 1 of 9 children, his siblings Maria, Anita, Eva, Franco, Umberto, Rita, Fides and Lucia grew up in a simple and humble home surrounded by love. After he returned from his mandatory service with the Merchant Marines, he left his home together with his sister Maria and her family to escape political unrest. On December 16, 1956, in the middle of the night, they crossed the Adriatic Sea in a small boat and arrived in Ancona, Italy 20 hours later. He eventually made his way to New York where he had various jobs before starting his career as a NYC union carpenter. Throughout his career, he worked on many well known NYC landmarks such as the General Motors Tower, Lincoln Center, and The World Trade Center. Joseph passed his love for singing to his five grandchildren, Pano, Valentina, Luca, Francesca and Johnny, all of whom love and adore him immensely. He enjoyed playing checkers and singing with them. He was a devout Catholic; a man of strong faith who started as an altar boy in his hometown and continued to be an active member of the church community wherever he lived. In his own quiet way, he showed by example what it is to be a loving husband, kindhearted father, and amazing grandfather. He loved his family, building with his hands, tending to his garden, swimming in the ocean and complaining about the New York Mets. All who knew him described him as a wonderful, kind and gentle soul and he will be missed dearly.