Bro. Joseph Vincent Tortorici, SDB, died on Monday, February 10, 2020, at St. Philip the Apostle Residence in Tampa, Fla. He had been in hospice care for a few days, suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Joe, the fourth of five brothers, was born in Manhattan on March 27, 1936, to Francesco and Francesca Tortorici. He was baptized at Our Lady of Peace Church in Manhattan on January 24, 1937, and confirmed there ten years later. His father worked for the city parks department; his mother was a housewife. Joe placed them as a lower middle class family.
After his parents’ deaths, he lived with relatives in Scranton, Pa., attending Minooka Grade School (1948-1951) and South Scranton Catholic High School (1951-1955). Handicapped already in his youth by very poor vision, he specialized in musical training. In later years he explained to one of the staff in Tampa that he decided to become a Salesian after a Passionist priest encouraged him to go to the seminary in Newton, N.J., and check it out. When he was welcomed right away, he felt the Salesians were the right fit. He believes it “had to be providential” that he found the Salesians, where he felt at home for the rest of his years.
The clergy of his parish, St. John the Evangelist, recommended Joe for admission to Don Bosco Seminary in the fall of 1955: “Joseph … has always shown a spirit of cooperation and helpfulness in parish activities. His spirit of piety and sincerity has been an edification to the priests and people.”
Joe enrolled as a Son of Mary at Don Bosco Seminary in Newton on October 1, 1955. He was admitted to the novitiate on September 7, 1956, at Newton, the house council noting his obedience, willingness, and intelligence. Unable to do close work or to study because of his poor vision, he worked in the laundry and bakery.
Joe made his first profession of vows on September 8, 1957, at Newton. He wasn’t noted especially for piety, but his musical talent was specially recognized. His admission to perpetual profession six years later described him as “docile, cheerful, sincere, open.” It also noted that he was “good in bakery, band leader.” He made his final vows on August 24, 1963, at Mount Mongola in Ellenville, N.Y.
Bro. Joe served the confreres and other seminarians at Newton from 1957 to 1976. His baking skills were outstanding; there was nothing in the world to compare with his bread hot out of the oven, and his cakes and pies, too, were unsurpassed. He directed the novices’ band for ten years, and he also sponsored a ham radio club for the brothers. Ham radio remained one of his apostolates for many years; thereby he helped missionaries and laity reach loved ones around the world.
Fr. John Nazzaro—now engaged in formation ministry—writes: “Who could never forget the smell of fresh bread in the gray house in Newton…. He got us all through formation with his bread and always playing his music.”
In 1976 Bro. Joe was assigned to Don Bosco Tech in Boston, where he helped with office work, especially as receptionist. He continued as a receptionist at St. Anthony Parish in Elizabeth, N.J., from 1985 to 1994, adding ministry at the church organ. In 1994 he was posted to Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, La., where he assisted with the school’s band program and provided music at St. John Bosco Parish in Harvey and at Wynhoven Apartments, an assisted living home in Marrero.
When Bro. Joe’s health began to fail, he was asked in 2014 to move to St. Philip the Apostle Residence for senior confreres at Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, where his music and good humor were valued by all the confreres. A word that everyone would use for Bro. Joe is “lovable.”
Bro. Joe’s funeral will be celebrated first at Mary Help of Christians in Tampa and then at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw-Stony Point, N.Y.
In Tampa:
Wake: Wednesday, February 12, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Mass: Thursday, February 13, 11:00 am
In Haverstraw:
Wake: Friday, February 14, 2:00 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial: 7:00 p.m.
Bro. Joe will be interred in the Salesian Cemetery in Goshen on February 15 at 10:00 a.m.
1 comment:
I remember bro. Joe Tortorici very well. We used to kid him sometimes and call him backwards, bro. I-chi-rat-rat. When I was in novitiate (59-60) he came up and helped out with the band and taught me how to play the sax. He himself played one seriously hot killer baby saxophone. There were many times he would put on performances with his little sax. What a musical talent he was for sure.
When we performed the Mikado at DBC he was next to me in the orchestra pit playing away. What a wonderful guy to work with. Thank you Joe for all your great musical accomplishments.
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