On Sunday afternoon, October 11, 2020, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Joseph Santioni, age 80, who was a lifelong resident of Old Forge, passed into eternal life quietly at Linwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Scranton, where he was a guest for the past month.

His loving wife is Patricia (Nawrocki) Santioni. Together, Joseph and Patricia celebrated their 58^th wedding anniversary on June 23^rd.

Born on January 11, 1940, in Old Forge, Joseph was the beloved son of the late Fred Santioni and Fernanda “Nan” Giovanoni Santioni.

Joseph was a graduate of Old Forge High School, Class of 1958. He also attended West-Side Vocational Technical School, Pringle, where he took up carpentry.

A United States Navy veteran, Joseph honorably served his country for one year as a Seabee and then for two years as a Fireman during peacetime.

Prior to his retirement, Joseph was employed for 38 years as a heat-treat operator for Chamberlain Manufacturing Corporation, Scranton.

Joseph was a faithful Catholic and a member of Prince of Peace Parish, Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, Old Forge. After retiring, he became a devoted daily Mass attendee.

Throughout his life, Joseph had a love for woodworking, and was a keen craftsman who, most notably, built a new home in Old Forge for his wife and daughters in 1973. He was also a skilled wine maker who, in the eyes of many, was a master of the art of wine making. His homemade wine always paired perfectly with the homemade lonza and prosciutto he made every year.

Some of Joseph’s other enjoyments were playing bocci ball with the Yatesville Bocci Club, of which he was a longtime member and played on a championship team; going to auctions; enjoying a Parodi cigar; taking vacations to Italy and Las Vegas; fishing; and both telling jokes and playing practical jokes on his fellow co-workers at Chamberlain during his years there. Throughout his life, he also had a love for Model A’s and Model T’s, and he treated his El Camino like a member of the family!

During a recent stay in hospice, Joseph spoke of his life, and how “he would not have changed a thing”. Paul Anka’s lyrics from the song “My Way”, which Frank Sinatra sang so passionately, perfectly add to what Joseph told his loved ones: “I’ve lived a life that’s full, I traveled each and every highway, but more, much more than this, I did it my way”.

In addition to his parents, Fred and Fernanda Santioni, Joseph was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Leo Hennigan Jr., who passed away on April 21, 1998.

In addition to his wife, Patricia, Joseph is survived by his three devoted daughters, René Hennigan and her companion, Gerard Mennella, Wilkes-Barre; Sue Harris and her husband, Bobby, Old Forge; and Lizz Santioni and her companion, Tony Biago, Old Forge; his adoring grandchildren, Annie Dillon and her husband Jason; Kayla Marie Hughes; Leo Hennigan III; and Troy Joseph Harris.

Relatives and Friends are respectfully invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial which will be celebrated on Saturday, October 17, 2020, at 10:00 AM in Prince of Peace Parish, Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, 123 West Grace Street, Old Forge. The Reverend August A. Ricciardi, his Pastor, will be the celebrant.

In keeping with Federal, State, and Diocesan guidelines, those attending the funeral Mass are required to wear a facial covering and observe social distancing.

Private Interment with the Rite of Committal will follow the funeral Mass in Holy Cross Roman Catholic Cemetery, Old Forge, where Military Honors will be accorded by the United States Navy.

Due to the current state of pandemic, the family has opted to keep the viewing private for Joseph’s immediate family.

Funeral Arrangements for the Santioni Family have been entrusted to the care of their friends at the Wroblewski Funeral Home, Inc., 1442 Wyoming Avenue, Forty Fort.

For additional information or to send Joseph’s family an online message of condolence, you may visit the funeral home’s website, www.wroblewskifuneralhome.com, or Facebook page.

Memorial donations may be made in Joseph’s memory to Hospice of the Sacred Heart by visiting www.hospicesacredheart.org, or to a charity of the donor’s choosing.