The family of Joe Palermo sadly announce his passing, after a short illness, on February 8, 2011 at the Dryden Regional Health Centre.
Joe was born on January 1, 1933 in Macchiagodena, Italy to Giovanni and Lucia Palermo. He was the eldest of four children. Growing up in Italy, Joe worked on the family farm and in road construction. He married Maria Notta in the winter of 1952. With her he had two sons, John, and Mario. Sadly Maria died suddenly in 1955. On October 15th, 1956 he married Maria DiRubio and had two more children, Julie and Dan.
In January 1962, at the age of 29, he immigrated to Canada. He lived with his brother Felix, sister-in-law Dora and their three children in Wabigoon and worked on the railway.
In 1968, his wife and children joined him in Canada from Italy. They lived in the Wabigoon station house for 6 months. During this time, their home on Colonization Avenue was being built and the family moved there in August 1968. In 1991 at the age of 58, Joe retired and bought property on Canyon Lake. He built a home and large garden there. This is where he spent most of his summers.
“Tatta Joe” enjoyed blueberry picking, making blueberry wine, gardening, caring for his apple trees and hunting. Mostly hunting anything that got close to his garden or his apple trees.
He also enjoyed playing games of “Scopa” (an Italian card game) with his wife Maria and friends Bias and Anna Notte. They would cook a big meal of polenta and argue about who was cheating at Scopa.
Joe was predeceased by his sister Angela, first wife Maria, parents Giovanni and Lucia, brother Felix and nephew Nick Palermo.
Survived by wife Maria Palermo, sons John Palermo, Mario Palermo, Dan (Deb) Palermo and daughter Julie (Fred) Helbling, all of Dryden. Grandchildren; Melissa and Derek Palermo, Laine and Ryan Helbling, Ricki-Lee Kiewning, Tyson and Trey Palermo. Two great-grandchildren Mason and Graydon Adams, brother Anotonio and sister-in-law Nicola of Macchiagodena, Italy, sister-in-law Dora Palermo of Wabigoon, nieces Lucy (Jerry) White, Antonetta (Scott) Smith, and families of Thunder Bay, and extended family in Italy, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Australia.
Visitation will be held Sunday February 13th from 4 until 8 p.m. prayers at 6:00. Funeral service is Monday February 14th at 10:00a.m. at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church.
Donations may be made to Northern Cancer Research through the Dryden Community Funeral Home, 249 Grand Trunk Avenue, Dryden P8N 2X3
