Joseph "Joe" F. Santarsiero

Joseph "Joe" F. Santarsiero, 75, of Dunmore,  passed away on Friday morning at Regional Hospital of Scranton after an illness.

Born November 2, 1944, he was the son of the late Frank and Ann Tur Santarsiero of Dunmore.  He was the devoted husband of Bernadette Klim Santarsiero for 53 years.  It was a love story that started with a Christmas card that Joe sent to her when he was in the U.S. Marines.

After attending school in Dunmore and working for a short time, Joe enlisted first in the U.S. Navy and then the U.S. Marine Corps serving his country honorably from December 1961 to January 1967.  He actively served during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Viet Nam. He became a platoon leader, Sergeant E-5, and a drill sergeant, and received numerous medals and commendations.

He received his GED while in the Marines and attended Lackawanna Junior College when he was discharged.  He worked with his father who was a plumber and heating contractor and at the age of 24 received his Master Plumber's License.  In 1970 he started his own company and was a successful plumbing and heating contractor for many years and then worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier.

Joe loved and cared for his wife and children, granddaughters, and great granddaughters deeply and all of his family and friends.  He loved attending all his daughter's activities, sons baseball games, midget football games, even being a coach for his son's Little League team.  He was kind and generous with his help to family members and friends.  He enjoyed all the parties, special occasions and holidays spent with everyone.  He loved playing poker, the casinos, vacations, watching sports, and fishing, hunting and playing golf when he was able to.

Joe was a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Dunmore.  He was a longtime member of Masonic Lodge 291, a life member of the Marine Corps League NE Detachment Scranton, life member of the VFW, life member of the DAV and Commander of Wm.C. Malia Chapter 1 in 2010.

Joe is also survived by his sons, Joseph F. Santarsiero Jr., Dunmore, and Dr. Nicholas Santarsiero  and wife Dawn, Clarks Summit, granddaughters Tiana Boer, Dunmore and Trinity Boer, Great Falls, MT, great-granddaughters Talyiah and Sabriyya, brothers Frank and wife Carla, William and wife Lois, Dunmore and sisters Ann Cruser and husband Tom, Dunmore and Joanne Urbanski and husband Albert, Pittston Township and nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Anita Boer, his brother Robert, a nephew Frank Jr., and his uncle & godfather Nicholas Tur.

The funeral will be Thursday from the Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home, Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore with a mass at 10:00am at St. Mary’s Church, Chestnut St., Dunmore.

Interment, Dunmore Cemetery.

Friends may call Wednesday from 4-7pm at the funeral home. Due to our current pandemic, all those attending are kindly and respectfully asked to social distance without direct contact while giving condolences, and are required to wear a mask immediately upon entering the funeral home.

Those attending the mass are asked to go directly to the church the morning of the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the DAV, Marine Corps League NE Detachment Scranton, PA or charity of donor’s choice in Joe’s memory.  

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