…retired Lawrence Postmaster; 67
TEWKSBURY, MA – Joseph John Fanciullo Sr. Born 6/27/49 – Died 2/5/17
It’s hard to write an obituary. It’s especially difficult to write about somebody who meant so much to so many people. You can type the words, list all the necessary names and dates, but when you look back and read them over they just seem… insufficient. There are no words to effectively convey the love and admiration I feel for my grandfather, nor the respect and devotion he inspired in the hearts of those around him.
Joseph John Fanciullo Sr. was born on June 27th 1949, in the North End of Boston. He always liked to point that out. He didn’t grow up in the North End, he grew up in Belmont. We all knew he grew up in Belmont. But for some reason, when he would meet people, and they’d ask him where he was from, he always liked to let them know “I was born in the North End... You ever heard of Natale Square?” The square was named after a relative of his. He always seemed to think that was pretty cool.
Grandpa Joe’s parents were Anna (Laudanno) and Ralph Fanciullo. Ralph’s been gone for a while now, but Anna’s still around. She has dementia. It broke Grandpa’s heart to see her get as bad as she got, and he did his best to care for her while he could.
Grandpa graduated from Belmont High School in 1967. He told me he got his diploma in “sheet metal shop.” I never fully understood what that meant. I think sheet metal work is similar to welding or something. I’m not sure, though. After high school, Grandpa enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He used to reference Bruce Springsteen’s song “Born in the USA” to describe his situation: “Got in a little hometown jam, so they put a rifle in my hand. Shipped me off to a foreign land, to go and--” look up the lyrics, if you feel like it. He served in the Vietnam War. That service had a profound impact on him. Grandpa carried those experiences for the rest of his life.
Upon his return to the States, Grandpa Joe met my grandmother, Elaine Kathleen Cusack. The two of them started a family, got married, and fell in love. That sequence of events may seem a little unorthodox, but who are you to judge? Grandma and Grandpa were happily married 48 years at the time of his death, so… Maybe we should all give it a shot.
Grandpa worked a series of jobs before landing a position as a Mail Carrier for the US Postal Service in the late 1970s. He stuck with it, climbed the ladder, and by the time he was finished, he was running the place. Grandpa Joe retired as Postmaster of Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover in 2006. I remember they threw him a retirement party at the Danvers Yacht Club. Some High School was having their Senior Prom on the floor above us that night. Grandpa and I tried to ditch the retirement party and crash the prom. I was twelve years old, he was fifty-eight. We had a tough time blending in.
After retiring, Grandpa and Grandma enjoyed travelling together. They went all over the place. Grandma liked to see the sights, Grandpa liked to hang out at the bars. Sometimes the family went along with them. That was always fun. Back home, Grandpa was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Sons of Italy. He also served with the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
Joseph John Fanciullo Sr. died this past Sunday afternoon. It was February 5, 2017, and he was 67 years old. Grandpa had cancer for years, and he fought until the end. He was surrounded by his family when he died, and his wife and best friend Elaine (Cusack) Fanciullo was right beside him.
The idea of summarizing a human life in a few paragraphs seems unrealistic and a little unfair. How could I possibly express to you what this man meant to his family? How can I emphasize the weight of our loss? I wish I knew how, but I don’t. One thing I do know is that my grandfather was loved. He was loved by his family, and all those fortunate enough to have befriended him. And while the pain we feel now is tremendous, I accept it willingly… I would rather feel the pain of having lost him, than have experienced the world without having known him.
Joseph John Fanciullo Sr. is survived by his mother, Anna Fanciullo; daughter, Diane Marie (Fanciullo) Eatherton and her husband Philip Eatherton of Tewksbury; son, Joseph John Fanciullo Jr. of Lowell; four grandchildren, Ryan and Rachel Eatherton, Andrea and Joey Fanciullo; sister, Helen Hatch and husband Ted; many nieces and nephews; and predeceased by his father Ralph Fanciullo and brother Ralph Daniel Fanciullo.
Relatives & friends are invited to attend Joe's memorial visiting hours on Friday, February 10th, from 4:00 -7:00 p.m. in the Tewksbury Funeral Home, corner of 1 Dewey and 975 Main Streets (Rte 38) Tewksbury.
Interment will be held on Monday February 13th at 2:00 pm in the Chapel at Massachusetts Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen St, Winchendon, MA 01475.