Obituary of Joseph Forni

Joseph Forni, known to many as “Papa,” was a retired builder and contractor. He passed away after a brief illness on Monday morning, May 30, 2011. Joseph was born in Alta Villa Irpina, Italy, the son of the late Luigi and Maria Forni. His family emigrated from Italy when Joe was 7 years old. They settled in Malden. Joe faced all the challenges of being a foreign speaking immigrant head on. He went to school and learned the history, language, and culture. He made new friends and learned new sports, like baseball. He was a talented baseball player and was even scouted by the Chicago Cubs. But Joe thought it was more important to stay close to home and help support his family. He proudly served in the US Navy during WW II. He was a Motor Machinist Mate Second Class, serving on the Commissioning Crew of the USS Moray. The Moray patrolled the waters of Tokyo and Kinkazan, Honshu. The submarine received a Battle Star for its attack on a Japanese Convoy off Honshu. He was the recipient of the WW II Victory Medal, American Area Medal, and the Asiatic Pacific Area Medal. He was very proud of his service to his country. Joe was a talented craftsman. He built two homes for his family. He owned his own contracting business; building homes, additions, and remodeling projects. He took great pride in his workmanship and when he did a job or project, the homeowner was assured the project was done well and of the highest quality. He prided himself in building his own boat and fishing trips were always the summer highlight. His gift of creativity could be seen in the scenery and set designs which he crafted for musical productions for both the Billerica and Stoneham Fine Arts Departments. Joe is described by his family and friends as a nurturer, caregiver, and generous to a fault. Others say that Joe has left a piece of himself everywhere. He was always willing to share his knowledge and offer a helping hand to all. He was a green thumb gardener and took great pride in the fruits of his hard work, which he always shared with his family, friends and neighbors. He spent many hours reading in his” little bit of Heaven” where both the birds and koi were fed. In later years, he worked in the maintenance department for the Stoneham School system. It was a great fit, because the Town of Stoneham saved thousands of dollars because Joe could fix almost anything, and Joe benefited from all the interactions between the administration, faculty and students. He was very well respected by all those he worked for over the years. Joe was the former husband of the late Lorraine Forni. He was the father of Mary Correia & her husband Stephen of Burlington. He was the proud grandfather of Timothy Correia of Brookline and Ryan Elizabeth Stirling and her husband Richard of West Roxbury. He was the great grandfather of Thomas Joseph Stirling. He was the brother of Rolli Forni of Billerica, Ernestine Gagliardi, Viola Ianelli, Mildred Shaw, Fred, Bill, and Ralph Forni. He was also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends. A memorial mass will be celebrated on Saturday, June 18 at Saint Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Joe’s name may be made to the VNA Hospice Care, 100 Trade Center, Suite G-500, Woburn, MA 01801. For directions and online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net or www.saintmargaretschurch.net. Arrangements under the direction of the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON He has begun his new life……we should not be so sad Let’s reflect upon his life on earth and all the fun we had…….with Papa! Joseph comes from the Hebrew name Yosef…which means “he will add”. And that is what Papa’s life was all about…..and yes he was my dad! September 29th or October 3rd well we definitely know it was Fall Papa’s birthday was a mystery…something about the Italian townhall. America welcomed him in twenty six with Freddie Ernie and Bill The Christopho Columbo almost took them back because Uncle Bill was ill!! Speaking of Bill, his favorite buddy, always at his side.. Until he threw out the unattached anchor…then we went adrift with the tide They rebuilt a boat together I am not quite sure of the year A Civic engine from Honda……that was stuck in second gear. To Uncle Rolli’s in Billerica……there and then back home. He would call Fungerello……but neither could hear…..and so much for the phone! Focused to a fault and personally I can say, Because the ladder I was standing on, broke in half one day. He looked down from the roof and just shook his head Don’t worry Stephen…we’ll make it a four footer instead! Then there was the leaking dingy….”come on, row” he said to me So I bailed with my shoe as fast as I could as we sunk down into the sea. He painted the station wagon’s inspection sticker…..because he knew it wouldn’t’ pass, Said he knew it was safe to drive, all it needed was gas! Oh! And the supply of brown paint was endless…just like the loaves and fishes, You could ask for yellow, blue or pink…..no one ever got their wishes….. The return trip from Florida he was in trouble with the TSA, He said they took his KMART watch out of the security tray. All the way down the concourse, he did complain and wimp But as I walked behind him, I noticed, he had developed a limp! He ambled over to a chair then he let out a great big sigh For it was in the toe of his sneaker that the missing watch did hide! Hospitality, “you only ask sick people, Mary….what do you think?” You always offered them something to eat and of course, something to drink! He would yell over to Eileen….take my blood pressure please And Eileen being a retired colonel from the Air Force…would fly as fast as she could flee!! Sparkling hazel eyes and a commanding loud voice The same stories and jokes...we just had no choice. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating a wedding, and what a wedding we had The mayor processed down this aisle…but the mayor was really my dad. Papa never thought he was worth much nor how positively he affected our lives Advanced degrees not gracing his walls…..but boy how he was wise! Hard worker, persistent and patient… well maybe not so much Papa was more vibrant than life itself, with a heartfelt gentle touch! We never lose those we give to God and Joe had a good long run He lives on through all of us here….especially Thomas Joseph, his beautiful great grandson.