Obituary of Joseph Bramanti

Joseph F. Bramanti, a resident of Burlington for 52 years, passed away at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House in Reading on Wednesday evening, August 13, 2008. The beloved husband of Lucy A. (Citrano) He was 82 years old. Joe was born in Augusta, Italy. He was the son of the late Peter and Concetta Bramanti. Joe moved to the United States at the age of 4 and his family settled in the West End of Boston. Joe was a veteran of the Korean War where he served his country in the United States Army. He captured by the Chinese and was a prisoner of war for 27 months. Joe was very proud of his service to his country and talked to many of his friends and relatives about his experiences as a POW. He was a member of the American Ex-Prisoners of War Association as well as the Korean War-Ex POW Association. Joe was the recipient of the Korean Service Medal with 1 Silver Service Star and 2 Bronze Service Stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Joe started his career as a photographer. He went to work as a crafter of handmade musical instrument cases and instruments. He worked at William S. Haynes Co. in Boston where he made flutes and piccolos and then worked at his brother Frank’s business, Bramanti & Sons making instrument cases. Joe was active in the community of Burlington where he lived for over 50 years. He was a long-time usher at the 10 a.m. Mass on Sundays at St. Margaret’s. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus where he was both a 3rd and 4th Degree Knight. He was also a member of the American Legion and the DAV. Joe was an avid ten-pin bowler. He was a member of the K of C bowling league as well as the National Bowling Association. He belonged to a league up until 2 years ago. Joe also enjoyed traveling most especially cruises. The entire Bramanti family had taken a cruise to celebrate Lucy and Joe’s Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary. He will be missed by his family and many friends. Joe is the beloved husband of of Lucy A. (Citrano). He is the loving father of Denise Bramanti-Spencer & her husband Patrick of Billerica, Peter Bramanti & his wife Peggy of Middleton, Joseph “Jay” F. Bramanti, Jr & his wife Jeanne of N. Andover, Robert Bramanti & his wife Linda of Andover, and Christopher Bramanti & his wife Gretchen of Chelmsford. He is the brother of Mary Morris & her husband George of Saugus and the late Dominic and Frank Bramanti. Also survived by 14 grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and loving friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side on Monday, August 18 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Sunday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Joe’s name may be made to St. Margaret’s Building Fund, 111 Winn St., Burlington, MA 01803. Chris's Eulogy for his Dad First I would like to thank all of you for your kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness during this very difficult time. I would especially like to thank my Aunt Mary and Uncle George for their courage, fortitude, and strength they had for my mom. William Shakespeare in his play As You Like It wrote: “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players, They have their exits and entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” Shakespeare goes on to write about the seven ages of man – or stages, if you will, – from his infancy to his death. The first stage begins with the birth of my dad in Italy in 1925. He and his family made the arduous trip to America, where as a toddler, during his second stage, he learned to assimilate himself as an American. The third stage, as a young teenager, he stopped going to school to help the family. As a young adult, his fourth stage was forced upon him as he was drafted into the Army to help fight a war in Korea where he became a prisoner of war. During his fifth stage as an adult he married, had five children, and worked various jobs to support his family. He transitioned to his sixth stage as an elder statesman. He became a source of information and he always had something to say (not that we always listened to him!). And now, the seventh stage, he rests before us all. In trying to define who he is, I must talk about courage. It is a word rarely associated with my father. He often told us to strive to do better, to fight through our problems, and that things would get better. He knew courage. He had to have the courage to take that boat ride from Italy to America. He had to have the courage to assimilate into a new culture. He had to have the courage to sacrifice his education for the good of his family. He had to have courage to fight in a war he was drafted into and he had to have courage to survive for 27 months as a prisoner of war. (some might even say)He had to have courage to marry my mom and have five children . He had to have courage to watch his children grow and learn from him and also allow them to learn their own mistakes. He had to have courage to live and fight for another day not for him, but for us. But, beyond courage, my father had heart. A very big heart. His heart is the foundation of this family. Love, passion, kindness, as well as confidence, competitiveness and determination all emanate from the kind of man he was. If you knew him, he would give you whatever you needed. Help you in any way. Two months ago he had a heart attack. My brother, Robert, predicted then that my father would not die because his heart failed. “His heart is too strong,” he said, “His will is too tough.” Robert was right; his heart didn’t give out on him. In nature’s cruel way, a cancer gave him a fight he couldn’t win. But, through it, he displayed an amazing amount of courage and heart. Nature, in some odd way, would not allow him to continue living. It is of my opinion that nature decided that he had too much of a good thing. Too much life. Too much love. He may not be living side by side with us anymore, but as a quote my mother recently discovered and so eloquently says it all - “Don’t cry because it ended, smile because it happened.” He happened. He happened to all of us. We must celebrate the fact that he touched us in some way. All I know is that he will still live within us if we have the courage to believe his heart will live on.