Obituary for Joseph Albert DePetris
Joseph A. DePetris passed away peacefully on September 25th at his home in Avalon, NJ. He was 102 years old. Born March 15, 1920 in Philadelphia, he was the son of William and Ernesta (nee Condello) DePetris, and the beloved husband of his late wife Rosemary (nee Sangster) who together shared 67 years of marriage.
Joseph is survived by his 5 children, James (Mary) of Radnor, Michael of Conshohocken, Steven (Christine) of Merchantville, David (Trish) of Newtown and daughter Donna Marie Groskoph (John) of Summit; his sister Rita Vallis; grandchildren, Thea, Jennifer, Jill, Jackie, Jamie, Michael, Austin, Robbie, Emily Ann, Josh, Jake, Shannon, Sean; great grandchildren, Mackye, Beau, Quinn, Johnny, Keira, Jimmy, Chase, Ava, Hannah, Heidi, Henley; nieces, nephews, and friends.
Joseph is preceded in death by his brother Michael and sisters Mary and Theresa.
Joseph was a devoted husband and loving father who served as the patriarch of his family. He was a persistent hard worker and a man of faith who loved God and his family.
He grew up in South Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill where his family had a tailor and dry-cleaning business. His experience living through the depression had a lasting impact on his life. He enlisted in the US Navy, serving on the USS Sturtevant (DE-239) during World War II. Coming home, he met his wife Rosemary at a church dance and soon started his family in Chestnut Hill before moving into the suburbs in 1960 to Moorestown, NJ. Joseph & Rosemary’s family flourished in Moorestown with all children attending Moorestown High School.
He was a successful businessman and real estate developer. He started his career working at South Jersey Mortgage Company for 18 years where he honed his financial and real estate contacts and relationships. He would go on to partner with investors to acquire and develop land in Southern Jersey Market. He was also a partner in the Howard Lumber Company in Runnemede NJ and also in the Hilton located at 10th and Packard in Philadelphia (now home to the Live Hotel and Casino) Late 1960’s, he purchased large tracts of land in Medford NJ which included taking ownership of the Lake Pine Water Company. After a few years, he sold the local water company, tired of repairing frozen pipes at all times of the day/night. In Medford, he would go to build his most successful project and his one and only shopping center, The Village at Taunton Forge. He took pride in creating a retail center that was different than the typical “strip” center that were being developed during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. The center would become known as his “baby” as he cared for it deeply, handling the daily management and often doing much of the maintenance himself. The center would be the catalyst for his sons’ careers in commercial real estate brokerage and development.
Joseph would always tell his children that he was a “lucky guy” with all his family and good fortune and that although he wasn’t the smartest man, he was the most persistent.
Joseph lived in Jupiter, FL the during winter and Avalon, NJ during the summer. He loved time on his deck basking in the sun and enjoying happy hours with his beloved toast Cent’ Anni. (“May you live a hundred years”) He enjoyed fishing, gardening, and working around the house as a handyman. His greatest joy was time spent dancing with his wife Rosemary.
The DePetris Family will forever be grateful to Nana who cared so lovingly for both Joseph and Rosemary’s as their devoted caregiver during the past 15 years.
Joseph’s life was a celebration of love and family. He was blessed to live a very full life. He will be greatly missed by his family, relatives, and friends. His life and legacy will forever be remembered.
Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation on October 5th, 2022 from 8:00-10:00am
at Mount Laurel Home of Funerals located at 212 Ark Rd in Mt Laurel NJ. The
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church located at 42 W Main
Street in Moorestown NJ. The entombment will take place immediately following the funeral mass at Locustwood Memorial Park located at 1500 Marlton Pike West in Cherry Hill, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rosemary DePetris Foundation, PO Box 1468, Summit, NJ 07901.
Joseph is survived by his 5 children, James (Mary) of Radnor, Michael of Conshohocken, Steven (Christine) of Merchantville, David (Trish) of Newtown and daughter Donna Marie Groskoph (John) of Summit; his sister Rita Vallis; grandchildren, Thea, Jennifer, Jill, Jackie, Jamie, Michael, Austin, Robbie, Emily Ann, Josh, Jake, Shannon, Sean; great grandchildren, Mackye, Beau, Quinn, Johnny, Keira, Jimmy, Chase, Ava, Hannah, Heidi, Henley; nieces, nephews, and friends.
Joseph is preceded in death by his brother Michael and sisters Mary and Theresa.
Joseph was a devoted husband and loving father who served as the patriarch of his family. He was a persistent hard worker and a man of faith who loved God and his family.
He grew up in South Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill where his family had a tailor and dry-cleaning business. His experience living through the depression had a lasting impact on his life. He enlisted in the US Navy, serving on the USS Sturtevant (DE-239) during World War II. Coming home, he met his wife Rosemary at a church dance and soon started his family in Chestnut Hill before moving into the suburbs in 1960 to Moorestown, NJ. Joseph & Rosemary’s family flourished in Moorestown with all children attending Moorestown High School.
He was a successful businessman and real estate developer. He started his career working at South Jersey Mortgage Company for 18 years where he honed his financial and real estate contacts and relationships. He would go on to partner with investors to acquire and develop land in Southern Jersey Market. He was also a partner in the Howard Lumber Company in Runnemede NJ and also in the Hilton located at 10th and Packard in Philadelphia (now home to the Live Hotel and Casino) Late 1960’s, he purchased large tracts of land in Medford NJ which included taking ownership of the Lake Pine Water Company. After a few years, he sold the local water company, tired of repairing frozen pipes at all times of the day/night. In Medford, he would go to build his most successful project and his one and only shopping center, The Village at Taunton Forge. He took pride in creating a retail center that was different than the typical “strip” center that were being developed during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. The center would become known as his “baby” as he cared for it deeply, handling the daily management and often doing much of the maintenance himself. The center would be the catalyst for his sons’ careers in commercial real estate brokerage and development.
Joseph would always tell his children that he was a “lucky guy” with all his family and good fortune and that although he wasn’t the smartest man, he was the most persistent.
Joseph lived in Jupiter, FL the during winter and Avalon, NJ during the summer. He loved time on his deck basking in the sun and enjoying happy hours with his beloved toast Cent’ Anni. (“May you live a hundred years”) He enjoyed fishing, gardening, and working around the house as a handyman. His greatest joy was time spent dancing with his wife Rosemary.
The DePetris Family will forever be grateful to Nana who cared so lovingly for both Joseph and Rosemary’s as their devoted caregiver during the past 15 years.
Joseph’s life was a celebration of love and family. He was blessed to live a very full life. He will be greatly missed by his family, relatives, and friends. His life and legacy will forever be remembered.
Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation on October 5th, 2022 from 8:00-10:00am
at Mount Laurel Home of Funerals located at 212 Ark Rd in Mt Laurel NJ. The
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church located at 42 W Main
Street in Moorestown NJ. The entombment will take place immediately following the funeral mass at Locustwood Memorial Park located at 1500 Marlton Pike West in Cherry Hill, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rosemary DePetris Foundation, PO Box 1468, Summit, NJ 07901.