Joseph Puerari

Joseph (Giuseppe) Puerari passed away on December 22nd, 2024 at his beach home in Holgate on Long Beach Island, NJ surrounded by his loving family. Technically, he passed away an hour and fifty-four minutes before his 72nd birthday at 10:06 PM Eastern Standard Time. However, he actually passed away ON his birthday at 4:06 AM Central European Time where he was born.

 Joe was born on December 23rd, 1952 in Toritto, Bari, Italy. Joe resided with his family in Kenilworth, NJ and shared many years and memories at his beach home that he and his loving wife built on LBI. He emigrated to New Jersey, USA with his siblings and parents at the age of 13. He always talked about the voyage on the ship, not knowing a word of English or what the future had in store for him.

Joe was a man that knew how to work hard and play hard and took many chances in life. He worked many jobs that led his way to becoming a prominent electrical contractor. Joe was a successful entrepreneur, running two businesses, Puerari Electric, Inc. for 38 years and LBI Puerari Homes which are real estate rental properties on Long Beach Island, NJ. He was a past president and member of the Union County Electrical Contractors Association.

Joe knew how to grab life by the horns. He taught himself how to surf at the age of 39, eventually teaching his children how to surf, too. He also loved body building, soccer, hiking, driving his motorcycle, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoyed traveling with his family to exotic places. Joe was an avid gardener and was known for growing delicious figs, clementines, oranges, lemons, and many other things.

Joe will be remembered for being a very personable, positive influence on everyone he met and for his passion for life and his family. He was a mentor to many. He leaves behind his loving wife of 45 years, Lorraine Mary Puerari, (nee Semko), his daughter, Danielle Maria Wilkinson, (nee Puerari), his son, Joseph Puerari, his son-in-law, Kenneth F. Wilkinson, his three grandsons, Kenneth III, Samuel and Charles Wilkinson. Joe was part of a very large loving Italian family. He was the third born of eleven children. He also leaves behind ten siblings, Antonia Del Guercio, Vincenzo Puerari, Laura Lo Piccolo, Donna Scarabaggio, Dino Puerari, Anna-Marie Jacobelli, Michael Puerari, Angelo Puerari, Rosalie DeMarco-Snyder & Carmelinda Collier, as well as many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his mother, Maria Puerari (nee Pompieri) and his father, Stefano Puerari. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 28, 2024 from 4 to 8 PM at Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Ave., Westfield, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at St. Theresa’s RC Church in Kenilworth, NJ at 10:00AM, Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the The Association of Frontal Temporal Dementia Degeneration

Following the burial, the repass will be at Ravello’s Restaurant, 38 Eagle Rock Ave., East Hanover, NJ 08936, All attendees are welcome to join the Puerari Family for lunch!