Obituary of Joseph A. Wolfe

Joseph A. Wolfe Sr. Obituary 

Joseph A. Wolfe Sr., 83, formerly of Ellenville, NY, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Indian Land, SC, on November 26, 2018.

Joe was born in Queens Village, NY, on December 5, 1934, to Edward F. X. Wolfe and Sarah O’Connor Wolfe.  He attended Sts. Joachim and Ann Elementary School and Xavier High School, followed by Notre Dame, St. John’s, and Hofstra universities, ultimately earning a Master’s Degree in Education.  Joe spent 32 years in education throughout New York State as a teacher and administrator, retiring from Ellenville Central School in 1990.

Joe was married for over 58 years to his loving wife, Frances Wolfe (née Filardi).  He is survived by his five children:  Maureen (Doug) Ralph, Lori (Bobby) Spina, Edward F.X. (Evelyn) Wolfe, Joseph A.(Noreen) Wolfe Jr., and Eileen (Danny) Allen, in addition to ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Patricia, who would have been 49-years-old on the date of his death; as well as his parents; brothers, John, Edward, and Thomas Wolfe; and sisters,Peggy Wolfe and Eileen Gaffney.

Joe was a dedicated family man and deeply religious.  He described the three things that were most important in his life as God, family, and track and field.  He was recently inducted into the Section 9 (NY) Track and Field Hall of Fame for his work as a track official.

Joe was also a fun-loving and caring people person, who was proud of his Irish heritage, and was well known for his singing of “Danny Boy,” which was a staple at family functions and delivered robustly at other events.  He was a historian, who had deep knowledge of many subjects.  He gave generously of his time, particularly in counseling other cancer patients.  

Joe was very active and held leadership positions in many organizations, including the Knights of Columbus and Elks Club, as well as being a former president of the Ellenville Noonday Club, Wawarsing Republican Town Chairman, and Treasurer of the Ellenville/Wawarsing Alumni Association.  Joe and his wife, Fran,were named Noonday Club Citizens of the Year in 2015.

Visitation for Mr. Wolfe will be held on Sunday, December 2, atChapey and Sons Funeral Home (20 Hicksville Road, Bethpage, NY) from 2-4:30pm and 7-9pm.  Funeral services will be held at 10:45am on Monday, December 3, at Maria Regina Catholic Church (3945 Jerusalem Ave., Seaford, NY), with Joe’s nephew, MonsignorEdward J. Filardi, officiating.  Burial will be at St. John Cemetery (80-01 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, NY) immediately following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations would be appreciated to either the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (www.innercityscholarshipfund.org/donate) or to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization(www.foodallergy.org/donate).