Joseph L. Tallerico

Joseph Tallerico, beloved husband of Irene, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2018. He was 95 and had lived a very full life. He is survived by Irene, his children Tom (Tim) and Lori Wilhelm (Mark), his grandchildren, Brian Tallerico (Lauren), Anne Perry (Ian), Andrew Wilhelm and Kristyn Wilhelm, and his great-grandchildren, Colten (step), Oliver, Lucas, Charlotte, Miles, Oscar, Noah, and Ginny. His daughter, Kathryn (Norm), died of pancreatic cancer not long ago. Joe was born in Wyatt, West Virginia, to Saverio and Lucrezia Tallerico. He was the 3d of 5 sons. His brothers, Lou, John, Sam and Ben pre-deceased him. Before their deaths, the five brothers served as mentors and super-egos to each of their brothers’ children. All of those children have led productive lives because of these men and their wives. Joe continued to be an example to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Recent posts on Facebook confirm this. Brian, for example, wrote in part: “Clearly, his achievements were great but it was who he was on a day to day basis that really impacted me….He may be physically gone but in a very real true sense regarding who I've been, who I am, and who I hope to be, and, most of all, who I am teaching my children to be, he ain't going anywhere.” And Andrew wrote, in part: “He was never afraid to show his emotion, wonderfully charismatic and sincere, and quick with a quip if the situation allowed. I owe a lot of who I am to who he was. And if I can be half the man he was while he was with us I will have lived a successful life.” Joe is a veteran. He served his country valiantly in WWII, landing on the beaches of Normandy and fighting across Europe until the end of the war, eventually arriving in Czechoslovakia and dealing with holocaust survivors. He was also an avid golfer. His companions knew him, perhaps most, for his tee shots. He never really waited to address the ball, hitting the ball almost like a polo swing. Despite that, he usually drove the ball onto the fairway. He taught Tom to golf and constantly told him, when his drives strayed far from the fairway, that Tom needed to keep his head down. To Joe, nothing else mattered. Just keep your head down. That phrase exemplified how Joe approached life. He may have developed that approach to life on the beaches of Normandy but, wherever he did, please join his family in telling him to keep his head down as he continues on his way. In lieu of flowers family would appreciate dontations to: National Kidney Foundation American Heart Association Capuchin Soup Kitchen

Joseph L. Tallerico

September 11, 1923 - October 14, 2018