Joseph Sicilia

SICILIA Joseph Sicilia never ran out of stories he was eager to share. He died at age 91 on Dec. 20, 2023, one week following a fall at his Bensalem home for nearly 40 years. He was the son of the late Lena and Joseph Sicilia, of Philadelphia, He was preceded in death by his siblings Anthony and Sylvester, of Philadelphia, and Mary Clements, of Bensalem. He graduated from North Catholic High School and had a long career with the U.S. Postal Service. He spent his retirement years visiting cemeteries to plant American flags on the graves of military veterans, and cooking his famous chicken soup, chili and Polpette. He was also a longtime member of the Thursday boys club at the Neshaminy Mall. Joe loved talking about his travels to every U.S. state, Mexico and his beloved Italy. A frequent topic was his childhood as the youngest son of Italian immigrants in Frankford, Philadelphia. He talked about how he and his friends knocked on doors and asked to see neighbors’ Christmas trees. The time his mother asked him to stay home from school to keep her company. He’d tell you about the way he convinced his protective mom to let him spend the summer of high school graduation working as a busboy in Wildwood, and how he could have been a famous Hollywood comedian. But fame and money wasn’t important to Joe. His family was, particularly, his late nephew James “Jimmy” Clement, who frequently was mentioned in his stories. To honor his memory, Joe created the James Clement Memorial Scholarship, which will provide two scholarships annually to incoming freshmen seeking a Catholic high school education. He is survived by nieces Janet Heisler, of South Carolina, Jane Cochran, of Philadelphia, Linda Shanice of New Jersey, and nephew Fred Sicilia, of New Jersey, and cousins Joann Ciavaglia, of Bensalem, Tina Scannapieco, of Wayne, and Carmen Buffone and his wife Danielle.. Friends and Family are invited to call Thursday, January 4, from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Charles Barromeo Roman Catholic Church at Bristol Pike and Hulmeville Road in Bensalem, followed immediately by a funeral Mass. Interment will follow at St. Dominic Cemetery in Philadelphia. In lieu of flowers contributions in Joe's memory can be made to: Vitas Hospice, 2601 Holm Ave., Second Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19152