Joseph attended Samuel Gompas Trade School in the Bronx and graduated from “The “School of Hard Knocks” and “Heartbreak Ridge”. He served in the Special Forces in Vietnam. Although Joseph never had formal education, he was a jack of all trades and mastered all of them. He excelled at cooking, electrical, carpentry, plumbing, refrigeration, air conditioning, backhoe, gardening, raising animals, beekeeping, inventing new culinary treats, being a friend and parent. Imagine a 220 lb. man feeding a piglet a bottle… A gentle giant of a man….. The first garden Joe had, he planted seventy tomato plants. The Amish neighbors were coming with wheelbarrows to get that load! He often helped the Amish and Native American Communities.
He was dedicated to the Catholic Church and gave many hours to both St. Joseph’s in Claremont and St. Francis of Assisi in Windsor. He provided food for many family gatherings and Catholic Daughters of the Americas functions. In August, he was the cook for the CDA sponsored week at camp Holy Cross in Colchester, VT and prepared meals equivalent to serving “over 3,000 people” His cooking expertise served J.P. Larkin Country Club members and guests. His electrical expertise was seen at Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant in NY City in the 1960’s and in 1999 at Ascutney Mountain Resort, Brownsville, VT. Joseph and Susan owned and operated Catskill Maintenance Inc while living in Loch Sheldrake, NY and their crew subcontracted jobs from Kennedy Airport, Lincoln Tunnel, Kings County Hospital, Federal Plaza, and Ft. Totten, NJ. Smaller handy man jobs were done to help out family and friends and those “less fortunate”. One elderly couple paid him with two duck eggs and a loaf of bread for repairing their heater…..
Joseph loved his family dearly. His family loved him. Joseph is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 26 years and 8 months Susan Martellotto Januszewski, who were married in Utica, NY on July 26, 1980. They lived in Loch Sheldrake, NY; Beach Lake, PA; Vero Beach, FL; White Sulpher Springs, NY; Ferndale, NY; Rensselaer Falls, NY; Massena, NY; Windsor, VT and Reading, VT. He had seven children, eight grandchildren, two Godchildren and many “adopted sons, daughters and grandchildren”. His children from his previous marriage to Angelica Fredenburgh (Liberty, NY) are Gina Barbosa (and Brian Vernooy) Napanoch, NY; Eric Januszewski (and Veronica) Ascutney, VT and Joseph Januszeski, White Sulpher Springs, NY
His children from his surviving wife are Alexander Januszewski, Claremont, NH; Jeremiah Januszewski, Reading, VT; Samuel Januszewski, Reading, VT; Alizabeth Januszewski, Reading. His grandchildren are Eric Soares, Albany, NY; Decio DeAraujo. Napanoch, NY; Ashley Januszewski, Ascutney ,VT; Regiana DeAraujo, Napanoch, NY; Anthony DeAraujo, Napanoch, NY; Megan Januszewski, Ascutney, VT; Allison Januszewski , Ascutney, VT and Erin Januszewski, Ascutney, VT.
Special “family members” includes Ralph Guarino, Junior of Loch Sheldrake, NY; Frank Visconti of Hubert, NC; Tim Harmon of Malone, NY and Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield, NH. Marty Hoffman, Dina Jester, Shana Heaney, Jeremiah Meachum, Will Budd, John Deacon, Ryan Spence, Aaron Wheeler, Amy Tullis, Anyas Tullis-Morin, Ashtan Wheeler, Nathan Fields, Victoria LaRusso, Matthew Bing, Roger Goupil, Jackie Martini, Kathleen Witherhead, Mike Currier, Kenny Hamblin, Ben Roberts, Justin Sauer, Bonnie Ab-Ale, Deanna Lutz, Nancy Norris and Steven and Victoria “Tori” Steffanello.
Joseph is also survived by Susan’s family, in-laws, nieces, nephews, Campers and staff, pets Daisy, Ginger and the many birds he fed. He loved nature, sugaring, fireworks, Vermont Flannel, target shooting, four wheeling, New York Yankees, stamp and coin collecting, action movies, Elvis and Johnny Cash. Joe used natural remedies and won the battle with cancer for ten years. He was rebuilding his immune system when pneumonia complicated things.
Joseph was predeceased by his family and loved ones—his father Joseph, Ralph Guarino Sr., Sr. Prisca Dardano “Aunty”, Aunts Kay, Anna, Ginger, Cecelia Kissh, Eric and Jarrod Duane and Jamie K. Lawrence Jr. “Jamie”.
Joseph served as Vermont Commander of the United States Constitution Rangers of the Continental Congress, 1777. He believed the Constitution needs to be reinstated in order for the United States of America, the Republic, to survive.
Friends may call at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street, Claremont, NH on Friday March 30th from 9:00-10:30 AM with a mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church, also in Claremont, at 11:00 AM Interment will be at a later date. The family suggests donations to be made to the parish’s local food banks, Catholic Daughters of the Americas or to the animal shelters.
A Mass of remembrance will be at Mt. Carmel / Blessed Sacrament Church in Utica, NY on July 22, 2007. After the 8:00 Mass, the family will be receiving family and friends.