PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Joseph A. DiCroce, 88, formerly of 379 East St., Providence Court Apts., Pittsfield, passed away Saturday, May 27, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center. 

He was born in Pittsfield on September 13, 1928, a son of the late Giuseppe P. and Virginia (D’Arcangelo) DiCroce. Joseph attended Pittsfield schools and graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1946. He was first employed in 1948 by the Walk-Over shoe store on North Street in Pittsfield for five years and then for 11 years managed the Melville Shoe Co. in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y. He then returned to Pittsfield and was manager of Joseph’s Shoe store in Pittsfield until he purchased Bossidy’s shoe store in 1972. In 1978 he became employed by Mr. Nathan Shoes in Lenox, later he was employed by Modern Mold and Tool from 1987 until his retirement in 1994. 

Joseph was a communicant of the former Mt. Carmel Church. He was the former President of the Sons of Italy ITAM Lodge #564 of Pittsfield and for 20 years was the Santa at the children’s Christmas parties at the lodge, he was also a member of the Faccioli club and volunteered at the Zions Lutheran Church in Pittsfield for the Cub Scouts. Joseph was an assistant coach in the Little League and later was a coach and President of the West Little League in Pittsfield. From 1947 to 1952 he was a Naval Reservist in the V-6 program in Pittsfield.

His former wife, Joan E. Sutton, passed away October 1, 2016. 

Survivors include two sons, Edward J. DiCroce and his wife Jody of Chelmsford, Mass., and Thomas D. DiCroce and his wife Cathy of Pittsfield; two daughters, Jolene K. DiCroce of Palm Springs, Calif., and Janice A. Northrup and her fiancée Michael Carmel of Pittsfield; two sisters, Alba Wendling and her companion Thomas Delano of Pittsfield and Irma Bullock and her husband Donald of Dover, N.H.; one brother, Paul J. DiCroce and his wife Allison of Fort Myers, Fla.; 13 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Joseph is also survived by his longtime companion Rita Gordon of Cheshire. 

He was predeceased by his son, Joseph J. DiCroce; his sister, Pauline D. Pedrotti; and his brother, Edward DiCroce.

Funeral notice: Services will take place Saturday, June 3, 2017, at 8 a.m. from the Flynn & Dagnoli-Bencivenga Funeral Home, 5 Elm St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 196 Elm St., Pittsfield. Burial will follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery. 

Calling hours at the funeral home will be Friday, June 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. Members of the Sons of Italy ITAM Lodge will meet at the funeral home for a ritual service at 6 p.m. Joseph’s family requests the omission of flowers.