Lombardo, Joseph

Joseph “Joe” William Lombardo, of Newington, Connecticut, passed away on May 17, 2023 at the age of 86 at the Royal Wayland Nursing Home in Wayland, Massachusetts. Joe was born on June 11, 1936 in New Britain, Connecticut to the late Sebastian and Concetta (Aparo) Lombardo. Growing up in New Britain, he attended Elihu Burritt Elementary School, Washington Junior High School, and E.C. Goodwin Technical High School, where he enjoyed playing basketball and proudly served as captain of the baseball team his senior year. From 1954 to 1958, Joe served his country in the United States Air Force with a rank of Airman Second Class. During his military service, Joe played baseball for the “Wiesbaden Flyers” while stationed in Germany and was especially proud to have played in and won the 1957 USAFE Baseball Championship at the Etain-rouvres Air Base in France. Upon completion of his service, Joe was employed by the Connecticut Light & Power Company, where he worked for over 35 years. On September 26, 1964, Joe married the love of his life, Judith “Judy” Giana at St. Ann Church in New Britain, Connecticut and they were blessed with two children and fifty-three years of marriage. Joe is survived by his daughter, Lynn Lombardo of Cromwell, Connecticut, and his son James and daughter-in-law Catherine of Needham, Massachusetts, as well as three grandchildren, William, Mary, and Grace Lombardo. Joe is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins and predeceased by his sisters, Mary Fuggetta and Jennie “Zina” Amato. Always a sports enthusiast, Joe treasured his time on the links with his dear friends, especially his lifelong friend Arthur Bagdasarian. He continued to enjoy baseball after the Air Force, coaching Jim's Babe Ruth teams and serving as head umpire in the Newington Softball League. Joe loved to root on his Red Sox (despite Judy's affection for the Yankees) and always followed the major sporting events closely, even at the end. This past spring, he picked Uconn to win his NCAA bracket, taking home the prize money, and placed his final bet in the Kentucky Derby. Joe and Judy enjoyed traveling and had many wonderful times together. Judy had assembled many photo albums documenting their travels around the world, and Joe enjoyed sharing these albums with his grandchildren, visitors and caregivers. His grandchildren loved hearing about Joe's Italian heritage and will always remember him singing to them in Italian. Joe was very proud of his grandchildren, who loved him very much and called him their “Grandpa Joe,” a nickname that stuck at the nursing home, which made him smile. The family would like to acknowledge the excellent care and attention Joe received from the kind and loving staff at the Royal Wayland Nursing Home; with special thanks to Laura King, Director of Nursing. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to visitation hours, which will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 from 4-7pm at New Britain Memorial-sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Avenue, New Britain, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at St. Ann's Church, 47 Clark Street, New Britain, CT on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 10:30 am. Entombment will follow in St. Mary's Garden Mausoleum, Stanley Street, New Britain, CT. Memorial contributions may be made to Learning Prep School, Joe's grandson's school, at www.learningprep.org. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.newbritainsagarino.com for the Lombardo family.