Joseph J Valente

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Joseph J. Valente, 81, of Granville, at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, October 15, 2022, at The Church of St. Edward the Confessor, 785 Newark Granville Rd., Granville with Msgr. Paul P. Enke as celebrant.

A retired technical writer with Lucent, Joe passed away October 9, 2022, at Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark. He was born in Detroit, Michigan to the late Dominic and Charlotte Valente.

Joe was a proud Navy veteran who knew no stranger due to his lovable personality. He was a member of St. Edward’s Church and strived to improve his community through numerous service activities. Joe was a volunteer baseball coach for many years, and a faithful worker with the Knights of Columbus where he served roles that included Financial Secretary and chef for many spaghetti dinners. He cared for others through his work with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and volunteered his time assisting seniors with their tax returns at the Licking County Senior Center.

Joe had an inquisitive mind. He needed to know how things work and wanted to fix them when they broke. He was an excellent cook, an avid sports fan, a present and dedicated family man, and an amazing pianist. He met his wife while playing piano in a Dixieland jazz band, and often played their song “Misty” for her through the years. Joe loved trees, numbers, good tomatoes, hockey, jazz music, caramel, working in the yard, the Chicago Cubs, reruns of shows he had seen hundreds of times, and most of all, his family and friends. “Pasta Joe” will be remembered as a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.

Surviving are his wife of 43 years, Betty; children, Lisa, Jonathon (wife Kelsey McCune), and Brandon; grandson, Marley; brother Mark (wife Kathy) Valente; and sisters-in-law, Lynne and Donna Valente, Grace Herbert, Georgene VanSchmus, and Jeanie Jones.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by two brothers, Dominic and Edward Valente.

The family will receive friends Friday, October 14th from 5-7:00 P.M. at McPeek-Hoekstra Funeral Home, 133 S. Prospect St., Granville beginning with a prayer service at 5:00 P.M. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society C/O St. Edward’s Church or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield VA 22116-7023.