Joseph F. Donzelli Sr.

Joseph F. Donzelli Sr., age 92, of Tamarac, Florida passed away Thursday, August 18 after a year’s-long battle with several health issues. Born in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, he was fiercely proud of being from that borough (he was a diehard Brooklyn Dodgers fan), even after moving to South Florida in the early 1970s as one of the first families to call North Lauderdale home. As proud as he was of being from Brooklyn, he was even prouder of being a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Signing up in 1947, he served until early 1950 but was recalled six months later during the Korean Conflict. He wasn’t braggadocios about it, but if you asked, he’d beam with pride and talk with you about his time in the Corps. He was honorably discharged in 1951 as a Sergeant. Over the years, he worked as a food and beverage manager in several S. Fl. locations, including the Coral Ridge Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale and the Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Deerfield Beach. He was a father of two – a daughter, Anne Marie Hoover from New Jersey, and his son, Joseph F. Donzelli II, with whom he lived with in Tamarac. As much pride as he took from his place of birth and serving his country with distinction, he would tell you that he took the greatest pride in being the father of his only son. The two were inseparable, staying together since his son was born 55 years ago. They were a team in life, supporting each other through thick and thin, with Joseph II assuming adult caregiver duties in his father’s later life. Always quick with a smile or a joke, Joseph Sr. was liked by one and all – he always made others feel comfortable, even when he was the one in distress. Today, the world seems a little duller, the sky a little less blue, flowers with a little less bloom now that Joseph F. Donzelli Sr. has passed on to the next life. He touched many lives and will be missed by so many friends and loved ones. Joseph Sr. was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Donzelli, mother, Mary Donzelli, brother Frank Donzelli and sister Rosalie Diamante. He is survived by his aforementioned daughter and son, granddaughter Kelly Ann Hartsgrove, grandson Bradford Hoover, great-grandson Jaxson Hartsgrove and a multitude of nieces and nephews in New York and New Jersey. Joseph F. Donzelli Sr. will receive a military burial at 2 p.m., Thursday, August 25th at the South Florida National Cemetery (https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/southflorida.asp) in Lake Worth, Fl. – all friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in the name of Joseph F. Donzelli Sr. to an organization close to his heart, the Padre Pio Foundation of America (https://padrepio.com/). A celebration of life will be scheduled in the coming months in the New York/New Jersey area. Joseph F. Donzelli Sr. will be missed forever.