Joseph Barresi

Joseph “Joe” A. Barresi, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend has passed into His heavenly realm on February 26, 2021 of complications associated with Covid-19. Joe was born in Niagara Falls, New York on January 11, 1945, the first child of Joseph and Mary Barresi who preceded him in death. Joe is survived by his adored wife, Nancy, his son, Joseph (Amy), his daughter, Jolene Newton (Erick), grandchildren, Jessica Thompson (Shaun), Nich (Lark), and Hayden, and four great-grandchildren, Caiden, Kinsley, Rylan, and Emrie, and his sister Joanne Arnold (Ed) and brother David (April). He will forever be remembered by his extended family and dear friends. Joe married the love of his life, Nancy, on August 28, 1965 in Phoenix, Arizona. Soon after, he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Travis AFB in California, where he worked as a mechanic on numerous aircraft. After his service, he returned to Phoenix and worked for Western Electric beginning as an installer. He also served in the AZ Army National Guard as a crew chief. He dedicated his life to raising a family and succeeding in the telecommunications field. Joe’s life was full of family, friends, activities and Rusty, his devoted four-legged companion. His gregarious personality helped him accumulate friends. He could easily strike up a conversation with any stranger. He loved telling stories about his life and times and considered his story a success when he made everyone laugh. Oftentimes, he humbly made himself the “butt of the joke.” Joe and Nancy built their dream home in Show Low, Arizona and enjoyed woodworking, gardening, family gatherings and playing games with friends and family. After retirement, he and Nancy enjoyed traveling around the world. His favorite place was Valledolmo, Sicily, the land of his grandparents. He acquired a passion for RVing which sent them on many rallies with the Rambling Suns RV Club of Sun City and to other destinations across the country. Joe was known for having a little knowledge of everything. Friends and family would often make the comment, “Joe knows.” He enjoyed lending a hand to others installing AV equipment, home theaters, or whatever it was that they needed done. He could fix just about anything around the house. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 5, 2021 at 11:00 am at Menke Funeral Chapel, 12420 North 103rd Ave., Sun City, AZ 85351. For those not able to attend, a webcast link will be provided. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to American Red Cross in Joe’s name at https://www.redcross.org/donate/donations.html/