Joseph Francis Pusateri
Joseph Francis Pusateri
Cedar Rapids
Joseph Francis Pusateri, 90, of Cedar Rapids, died peacefully on Oct. 6, 2022, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel Stateroom, with a rosary at 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m.
Wednesday
, Oct. 12, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. A visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to Mass, starting at 9 a.m. Interment will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.
Joe was born Oct. 31, 1931, at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The son of Frank and Frances (Scolaro) Pusateri; he, along with two of his sisters and one of his brothers, lovingly cared for their parents in their home until their deaths.
Joe attended Immaculate Conception grade school and McKinley Jr. High School. One of his biggest disappointments was that he never furthered his education beyond the ninth grade.
Joe was a proud Italian-American who grew up making deliveries for his family’s grocery store, Pusateri Grocery, once located across the street from McKinley Jr High on land that is now part of Mercy Medical Center. He went on to deliver ice cream for Bordens for 13 years before finishing his career at Collins Radio (later Rockwell Collins) for 30 years.
Joe was a cancer survivor and participated annually in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and many other 5K walks.
Joe was a member of the YMCA for 42 years and the Collins Recreation Center for 30 years. He participated in the Quad-City ‘BIX 7’ for many years, achieving a second place finish one year in his age division.
Joe loved bowling, achieving a high game of 289 and a 721 series. He loved playing racquetball and tennis and was a formidable opponent in both! He also enjoyed playing poker and knew his way around the felt.
Joe was a proud member and 4th degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Council 909 of which he was a member for over 70 years.
Fond memories of Joe’s were accompanying his father on a return trip to Termini, Italy where he recalled the experience as “the trip of a lifetime,” and traveling with his brother Jr (Frank), to Africa to visit his nephew Kyle (Frank’s son) where he found the trip eye-opening with its lifestyles and struggles. He fondly recalls the people in Italy and Africa as being extremely happy.
Joe was extremely generous and supportive of organizations such as the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, Camp Courageous, UIHC Macular Degeneration, the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, the American Heart Association and Immaculate Conception Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Frances Pusateri; sisters, Santina Pusateri, Mary Pusateri, Prudence (Frank) McEowen and Rose (John) Satariano; and brothers, Marino (Hila) Pusateri, Anthony Pusateri and Frank “Jr” Pusateri.
He is survived by five nieces, Mary Elaine (Ron) Sykora of Iron River, Mich., Linda (Don) Kraklio of Wilton, Iowa, Fran (Mike) Point of Stoughton, Wis., Heidi (Jerry) Collings of Prescott, Ariz., and Rachael (Johnathon) Taylor of Poultney, Vt.; 10 nephews, Frank (Melissa) Pusateri of Chula Vista, Calif., John (Deb) Pusateri of Altamonte Springs, Fla., Jerry (Linda) McEowen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Terry McEowen (Rick Polenek) of Minneapolis, Minn., Larry McEowen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gary McEowen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Kyle Pusateri of Oakland, Calif., Tom (Kim) Satariano of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Frank (Dorothy) Satariano of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Tony (Jo) Satariano of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and many great- and great-great-nieces and -nephews.
The family wishes to extend the following sincerest thank you to the caring and personable staff of Keystone Cedars where Joe resided for five years, to the staff at the Oldorf Hospice House, especially the love shown to Joe by Chaplain Joe Kane, Kim Leytem and Pam Hansen, and to a dear friend of Joe and his sister Mary, Lisa Gallet, for the friendship and kindness she’s shown them for many years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha and Camp Courageous in Monticello.
Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.