Joseph Richard Santoli

Joseph Richard Santoli, 85, died on July 6, 2017, in Roswell, GA, following pneumonia. He was born in Brooklyn, NY on June 25, 1932 to Eugene and Angela Santoli. His childhood was spent in Larchmont, NY, and northern New Jersey. Following graduation from Bogota High School in 1951, he served in the Army as a dental technician during the Korean War before attending Fairleigh Dickinson University. He married Norma Virginia Cordts in 1960; following the birth of three children, the family moved to Atlanta, GA in 1973.
Professionally, his career was in the insurance industry, working initially as an insurance adjuster and later as a title insurance executive. Outside of work, he loved to read, had a sharp intellect, and was never shy when it came to bragging about his children. He had a passion and talent for understanding the workings of anything mechanical or electrical, including cars, appliances, and machines of all sorts. This talent benefited those who knew him, as he generously used it to come to the aid of family and friends for many years. Another gift was his sense of humor (sometimes bawdy), which remained intact in the face of dementia and with which he consistently charmed those whose paths crossed his.
Joseph was preceded in death in 2005 by Norma Virginia Santoli, his beloved wife of nearly 45 years. Left to cherish his memory are three children, daughter Anne Austin and son-in-law Craig Austin; daughter Jeanne Santoli and son-in-law Paul Clonts; son Joseph Santoli and daughter-in-law Maureen Santoli; and six grandchildren, William Cordts Austin; Kathryn Elizabeth Austin; Paul Wilber Emmett Clonts; Emma Leetimae Clonts; Annabel Claire Santoli; and Charlotte Sofia Santoli.
The family extends sincere gratitude to the competent and compassionate caregivers and staff of Seniors Helping Seniors and St. George Village, whose kindness and support allowed Joseph to remain as independent and active as possible during the last years of his life.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338 at ten thirty on Tuesday, July 18th with a reception to follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Lung Association of the Southeast (http://www.lung.org/about-us/local-associations/florida.html), the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org) or a charity of your choosing.