Obituary of Joseph J. Vaccarella

Joseph John Vaccarella, affectionately known as "Joe" or "Uncle Joe", passed away on June 30, 2026, at his home in Naples, Florida. He was 83. Joe was born in Brooklyn, NY on November 29, 1942, and spent his childhood and young adult years in Flushing, Queens, NY. He earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Business Administration from St. John's University. Joe's fastidious nature and attention to detail made him a natural fit for his long and successful career in finance and auditing. By the age of 30, he was the Manager of Audits for the Singer Company, which enabled him to travel abroad, supervising its international auditors. Joe loved exploring the world and bringing or sending home gifts for his family. After Singer, Joe worked in finance for several Connecticut companies, including Bead Industries in Bridgeport, where he held the title of CFO and VP of Sales and Marketing, and served on its Board of Directors. Joe's financial career spanned several more decades. Between 1995 and 2010, while working at Parson Consulting, he took on a variety of roles, including acting Controller or CFO, for more than a dozen clients.

As his early career blossomed, so did his personal life. Mutual friends introduced Joe to the love of his life, Donna Palaia. In Donna, he finally met his match in terms of high and exacting standards. They married in 1982, and together led a fulfilling life, including building or renovating homes, cruising throughout the world, and just spending time with family and friends. After 43 years in Westport, CT, just last year, they moved full-time to their second home in Naples, FL, which they had owned since 2006. They became active participants in the Wyndemere community. The qualities of reliability and loyalty that earned Joe success in the business arena translated to his loving relationships with his nieces and nephews. He seemed to have an innate calendar with a well-meaning agenda. He and Donna never forgot anyone's birthday, and everyone loved their Easter and Christmas Eve extravaganzas. Uncle Joe's phone calls were regular, and soothingly predictable. People knew he wanted to touch base, find out what everyone, and their pets, were doing, be supportive of them, and discuss the next get-together. He would describe, in detail, his latest projects, and then suddenly be off again. It was clear to them that he loved them and was fully invested in their happiness; they were all his children. Joe and Donna made it to almost every graduation of their nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Joe greeted everyone he met with kindness and respect, and he had the ability to chat with anyone. Whether it was the butcher behind the counter, the mechanic at his local garage, or the staff at the Tiebreaker Restaurant in Naples, Joe treated everyone as his friend. He truly enjoyed when, at the age of 75, he began working part-time shifts at Enterprise Rental Car in Naples. Shuttling cars around Florida was fun, but his greatest satisfaction came from the camaraderie with the other drivers. Joe leaves behind a varied collection of reminders of his many interests: bottles of wine, bottles of scotch, croquet mallets, various other unique, personal artifacts, and a custom-striped electric Cadillac. Uncle Joe was a true "character," with great character, who lived life well, and fully. He will be dearly missed.

Joe was pre-deceased by his parents, Mildred and Peter Vaccarella; by his sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and Ernest Linneman; and by his sister, Regina Vaccarella.

Joe is survived by Donna, his beloved wife of 44 years. Joe's brother-in-law and his wife, Ronald and Linda Palaia, also survive him. In addition, he leaves six nieces and nephews (and their spouses): Christopher Linneman (Kay), Nancy Linneman (Bill Gotsis), Allison Strawn (John), John F. Rodda (Christine), Jennifer Palaia Lapis, and Amy Palaia Cooper (Lee). Fifteen great-nieces and great-nephews will also miss their incomparable Uncle Joe.

Relatives and friends may greet the family on Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., in Trumbull, CT. A memorial service will begin there at 11:30 a.m. Entombment will follow at St. Michael's Cemetery in Stratford, CT.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests any donations be made to St. Matthew's House in Naples, 2601 Airport Road South, Naples, FL 34112 or at Click here: Stmatthewshouse.org, or to a charity of one's choice. To leave online condolences, please visit www.abriola.com .