Obituary of Joseph S. Ariale

NORWALK, CONN Joseph S. Ariale, 88 of Norwalk, Connecticut entered into eternal rest on March 24, 2020, following a battle with cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. His life embodied 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Joseph is predeceased by his devoted wife of 52 years, Anita Ariale, the love of his life. The son of the late Giovanni Ariale and Anunziata Pannetta, he was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY. Joseph is survived by his beloved daughter Lisa Egan and her husband Tom of Monroe, CT and his son Stephen Ariale of Melbourne, FL. He was the loving grandfather to Christina Egan of Charlotte, NC and TJ Egan of Monroe, CT. He is also survived by his sister Carmela Falcone of Melbourne, FL, his brother Gerald Ariale of Spring Hill, FL and two other sisters Ann Ilardi and Nancy Magro. Joe is predeceased by his sister Mary Volpe of Farmingdale, NY and his brother Dominic Ariale of Brooklyn, NY. Joe had many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends with whom he loved spending time. He will be sorely missed by all. Since meeting in 2008, Joe cherished Marge DiPippo of Westport, CT and her family treated him as their own. Special to him were her daughter, Lynda Silvestro and her husband Santo of New Canaan, CT, her son Larry DiPippo of Shelton, CT and her daughter, Patty Romano and her husband Anthony of Oak Ridge, NJ as well as her many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. Anyone who knew Joe knew how much he adored his family especially his two grandchildren, Christina and TJ. They lit up his world and he loved being their Pop Pop. He would always be in the front row, never missing their school events, dance recitals, baseball and football games, graduations, you name it. We know his spirit lives on in them. Always found with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face, Joe was the life of the party. He will be most remembered for his kind heart and generous, gentle spirit. He was an avid tennis player and also enjoyed playing golf, traveling, fishing, and vacationing with his family. He was a handy-man and loved working on projects. Joe served in the United States Army and is a veteran of the Korean War. Prior to his retirement in 1992, he was a Project Manager for General Electric Capital in Stamford, CT for 35 years. He was an active member and former Treasurer of the Norwalk Exchange Club for many years. He devoted his time to serving the community and helping those less fortunate. He was passionate about supporting organizations for the prevention of child abuse. You could always find him handing out flags in the Norwalk Memorial Day Parade, working at the New England Clambake tent at the Norwalk Oyster Festival, and volunteering at numerous other community events. To some, he was known as the ‘mayor of Norwalk’. A Celebration of Life in Joseph’s honor will be held at a later date (post COVID-19) when we can gather, hug, and share our memories of Daddy, Pop Pop, Joe, Joey, Uncle Joe, and Mr. A with one another. Due to current CDC Federal guidelines in keeping with public safety standards, the family is holding a private burial here at Willowbrook Cemetery, 395 Main Street, Westport. Contributions may be made to the Exchange Club of Norwalk , P.O. Box 2095, Norwalk, CT 06851 in his name and will be distributed to charities for the prevention of child abuse. The Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory of Norwalk is directing the arrangements.