1952-2019

Joseph F. Distefano, Jr., 66, of Lynnfield, passed to the Lord peacefully on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at the Rosewood Nursing and Rehab Center, Peabody, surrounded by his family a day short of his sixty-seventh birthday.  He was the loving husband of Anne (Turner) Distefano and loving and proud father of Joseph A. Distefano.

Joe was born in Boston, MA on December 15, 1952, the son of the late Joseph and Margaret (Lombardi) Distefano and had resided in Peabody and then Lynnfield for most of his life.  He was in the first graduating class at Our Lady of the Assumption School, Lynnfield, and was a graduate of Northeastern University School Business, Administration, class of 1976.  

He then entered the family business and rose to President of the Royal Stamp Works in Peabody where he had assumed that role and worked for 38 years until he became disabled from multiple sclerosis. He courageously fought the disease for the past 20 years.

Joe had been a member and President of the Peabody Lions Club, and for many years   sat on the Board of Directors of Page and Goodwin Printing Company, Peabody. He was a great supporter of the Lynnfield Cystic Fibrosis Walk on behalf of his son. He was a talented singer and musician, able to play guitar and several other instruments.  He had a passion for antique cars, loved boating and enjoyed skiing in Aspen, Colorado. 

He was a kind man with an awesome smile that lit up a room and through his illness was always thinking of helping and caring for his family.  When asked how he was feeling, he would always answer “great!”  As his illness progressed, his faith in his Creator gave him the strength to carry on as was evidenced by his ability to not only remember but more importantly pray the prayers of his childhood.

Joe is survived by his wife Anne and their son, Joseph A. Distefano,  both of Lynnfield,  his sister, Mary-Jean “Gina” Distefano of Lynnfield, his niece Margaret J. and nephew and godson, Joseph F. Distefano of Lynnfield, an aunt, Tillie Vitale of Peabody,  his brothers and sisters-in-law, Mary E. and William Walsh of Beverly, Paul and Elaine Turner of Westford and Joseph Turner of Burlington and niece Theresa Cristoforo and husband Steven of Beverly, nephews Nicolas Cristoforo and David Standley of Beverly, and many cousins and friends.

A visitation will be held on Friday, December 20, from 4:00 until 8:00 PM at the Conway Cahill-Brodeur Funeral home at the 82 Lynn St., Peabody facility.  His funeral will be held on Saturday, at 10:00 from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Grove St., Lynnfield, at 11:00 AM.  Burial will be held at Holy Cross Mausoleum, Malden.   Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Association, 375 King Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034, or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4550 Montgomery Ave, Suite1100 N., Bethesda, MD 20814, in his memory.