May he rest in peace. God bless the entire family. He was a great
person and Knight of Columbus.
Andrew Prete
Grand Knight, K of C 5803 Simi Valley, CA.
and the Prete family from R. I.

We will always and forever, treasure the wonderful friendship that we had with Joe, our neighbor in California. How great is that, to have a best friend, live right across the street from you? John and Joe shared many interests, namely woodwork and often advised each other on their projects, sharing table saws, tools, etc. The finished products were always beautiful, so family, cherish all those items that your Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, made for you. He was a very skilled woodwork craftsman! Oh, those pasta dinners that he and Clara made, too! Yum! Their house at Christmas time, looked like a winter wonderland with all the shining lights. Such a treat, to look out our window, and see their yard brilliantly lit up! Glorious! They would often stand in either's driveways, discussing the nuts and bolts of life, down to bugs on the roses! 
John and Joe always watched over each other's homes when either family was away on a trip, so that added to the comfort of knowing home was in good hands. Joe asked John to put vents up on his roof but he wanted to be part of it. So! John got Joe up on the roof, tied a rope around his waist and secured the other end of it to the chimney so Joe wouldn't roll off the roof! That way, he was able to supervise and be part of the installation. I sooo wish I had taken a picture of this - Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, tied to the chimney on the roof! How cute is that? We miss him terribly and grieve the loss of him. What an amazing life, though! Such a beautiful, loving, caring, generous, devoted family man and friend he was. He will live on in all of us, never to be forgotten. 
With much love for this very special man - our Joe. John and Camille Crawford

Sailors pray,
For fair winds and a following sea

The smell of salt in the air,
The feel of their skin as it's touched by the spray

An albatross soaring above,
Dolphins in the ship's wake at play

To witness a work of art that only God can create,
The sunset at the end of day

At night a million stars in the sky,
Safe anchorage in an islands lee

When the time comes to die as for all it must,
To awake in Sailors Heaven where nothing ever rusts

And always there would be,
Fair winds and a following sea

C. D. Williams.COM


I know Uncle that is exactly where you are, sailors heaven, with fair winds and a following sea.

Jay Cafasso

Uncle...You lived life so "loudly"-enough for all to hear:

"Carpe diem cogliete l'attimo ragazzi rendete straordinaria la vostra vita"(Seize the day,boys.Make your lives extraordinary.)

So proud to call you my uncle.Rest in Peace.

Dad, we will never forget all the wonderful times together. You made us feel safe and loved throughout our lives. You taught us to work hard and reap the rewards. That ethic has passed to all the generations as we watch our grandchildren following in those footsteps.
I will remember learning to drive the Fiat (at the age of 13!) at the beach house, and learning to water ski at the same time behind the boat you loved so much! We made midnight delivery runs together to the various dentists, I prepared your invoicing in the summers when Mom was at the beach (sometimes adding "short notice" or "special delivery" fees you promptly erased) and I called you whenever I was in trouble. You rescued me more than once when I had car trouble at Boston College ~ bringing your friend and mechanic, Joe DiNoble, AND a freshly baked pie or cake from Mom, in the middle of a snowstorm, late at night, whenever needed. You were so proud at my graduation, and had the MOST fun during senior week at the beer fest with the parents of my wonderful friends. You didn't scold or show disappointment when I chose to forego the profession I had worked so hard to achieve to literally fly away from you. Although you initially said "No" to giving me away in marriage, you celebrated with us, and wanted our wedding day to be perfect. You and Mom left the home you loved to be a part of my family's life in California, and built a whole new life for yourselves. It made me so proud to see you earn the respect of so many people in your community. Volunteer par excellence, great host, wonderful neighbor and friend. Your life has been so full, yet we wished for more. We will imagine you walking the fields of heaven with Kimberley, your parents and siblings and ALL those friends from both coasts, telling the stories you told us all ~ about your life and the things you loved to do. We will try to stop the tears with happy thoughts. You will always live in our hearts!