Joseph M. Angelo, 82
Joe was an amazing, compassionate man of God who was the most positive and encouraging person you could meet, left us to go to our Lord Jesus Christ on July 21, 2012. He suffered a stroke in 2005 and continued to decline in health, yet he continued to be a living testimony and shared his faith until the end. He will be missed, but will always be remembered as the ambassador of joy.
Joe was born July 2, 1930, in Calder to Pat and Sadie Angelo. He grew up in St. Maries. He graduated from high school in 1949, and then worked in the local lumber mill. He went into the Air Force in 1950 and was stationed in Las Vegas. He fell in love with Patsy Grigsby of St. Maries and went back to St. Maries and celebrated a double wedding with his brother and his new wife, June 1, 1952. Joe and Patsy were happily married for 60 years.
Joe served in the Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in Guam. After the war he returned to St. Maries and worked in the lumber mill until it burned down in 1963. He then moved to Spokane and worked in Post Falls for Louisiana Pacific Lumber Company until he retired in 1995. He started as a sawyer and worked his way up and became the mill manager until he retired. He was loved and respected by his bosses and his employees. Joe was not only well known for promoting, but also lived by the mills slogan, “YES WE CAN.”
Joe spent his time outside of work loving his wife and family and serving in his community and church. Joe lived a life of service by serving on school boards, church boards, the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce and was actively involved in the Knights of Columbus. His acts of service are too many to mention. His passion in life was talking to people with a desire to know what was in their hearts and encouraging them to choose a life of eternity with Jesus Christ. You could not spend even five minutes with Joe without hearing who God was to him and how he was influenced that day by his relationship with the Lord.
Joe was a loving husband, father of five, grandfather of eight and great-grandfather of four. He is survived by his wife, Patsy Angelo of Spokane; daughters, Michaella (Larry) Decker of Spokane Valley, Tracey (Jerry) Zink of Spokane Valley, Tresa (Steve) Morrow of Bothell Wash., and Tonya Dietz of Moore Park, Calif.; and his son, Joe (Jill) Angelo of Spokane; granddaughters, Nichole (Keith) Breesnee, Angela Decker, Joanna (Chad) Fowler, Aaron (Cortney) Morrow, Jessica Morrow, Ashlee Zink, Julie Dietz and Megan Dietz; and great-grandchildren, Jazlyn Breesnee, Kyelan Breesnee, Sierra Apodaca and Addison Fowler.
Joe was the third of four children; he is survived by his sister, JoAnne Rapp of St Maries. He has joined his brother, Pat Angelo and his sister, Ann Angelo who passed several years ago.
We would like Joe to be remembered for his passions in life, which were his faith, family, Italian heritage, football and boxing.
The family would like to thank River City Hospice of Post Falls and Life Care Center of Post Falls for their exceptional care and support especially in those last days.
A rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, 2012, at St. John Vianney Church, 503 N. Walnut Road, Spokane Valley. The funeral service and celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28, 2012, at St. John Vianney Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s name can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, Inland Northwest, 910 West Fifth Ave., Suite 256, Spokane, WA 99204, Phone: (509) 473-3390.
Funeral services are entrusted with Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home, 1306 N. Pines Road, Spokane Valley, WA 99206.