Joseph’s Obituary Joseph Anthony Carroll Jr. 71, of Westbrook, formerly of Wallingford, died unexpectedly Feb. 24, 2019. He was raised in Tracy, and was a longtime resident of Wallingford.
A proud U.S. Army Veteran, he was drafted during the Vietnam Era and served in the 3rd Infantry as a Sergeant. He was stationed in Germany and had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. He then went to drafting school and worked for many years at Southern New England Telephone Company.
He most recently retired from Covanta Energy. He is survived by his loving children, Lauren Carroll and Joseph Carroll III; his special grandson Jonathan Maroney with whom he spent much of his time; his sister, Sharon Reifer; his niece and nephew Mark and Kathy Miller; the mother of his children, “Pal” Suzanne Barber; and his close, longtime friend, Chuck Hart. He is predeceased by his parents, Joseph A. Carroll and Helen (Lamothe) Carroll; his nephew Paul John “PJ” Miller Jr.; and his brother in law, Frank Reifer.
Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Joe would agree that he was outgoing. He’d always be the first with a joke, or a funny quip, and his wit and huge personality could light up even the darkest of rooms. He could have meaningful conversations with complete strangers.
He touched many lives in this way. Joe’s second family was at Bill’s Seafood in Westbrook, where he walked exactly 1 mile each way for Captain Morgan and tonics and a whole lot of laughs. He enjoyed the outdoors; he walked around Westbrook for exercise and logged his miles, weight, blood pressure and even his cocktails as he took his health seriously.
Besides Bill’s, another happy place for Joe was a sandy beach, whether it be local or one of the many Caribbean or Florida destinations he traveled to. Joe had quite the affinity for music. His all time favorite artist was Jimmy Buffett, he was a self-proclaimed “Parrothead”; one look at his extensive collection of Buffett memorabilia can confirm.
He read all his books, several times, and owned every CD. He also played the music of Bob Marley and the Beatles amongst many other artists, singing cheerfully around the house for as long as his kids could remember. He knew every word.
Joe was a sports fanatic. He followed the New York Yankees religiously on TV or radio. He never missed a UCONN basketball game on TV, and he attended nearly every one of his grandson Jonathan’s ice hockey and baseball games.
He was a baseball/softball pitcher for much of his life, and he bowled with friends throughout the years. Joe had a creative mind and a deep love of art. He was a skilled illustrator, cartoonist, watercolor and oil painter amongst other mediums.
He received an associates degree from Middle Community college in Art. He began creative writing classes with the Estuary club, enthusiastically making his “mark on the world”. His kids are his biggest fans.
He was a thoughtful, caring father who would do absolutely anything to support his children and grandchild in following their dreams. His family will receive relatives and friends in The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 N. Main St. Ext. , Saturday, March 2, from 10 am to 12 pm.
A service with military honors will be held in the funeral home at 12 pm. Friends are invited to join his children at Bill’s Seafood in Westbrook after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Save the Manatee Club, cofounded by Jimmy Buffet, which Joe supported.
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