Obituary of Joseph John Steffanie

Joseph J. Gunther Steffanie, surrounded by his family, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 22, 2022, following a lengthy illness.

Joseph was born in Brooklyn, NY and attended grammar school in Massapequa and Elmont, NY. He graduated from Parsippany High School and attended Morris County Community College in NJ. Joseph graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology where he earned a BS in Engineering Technology. He worked for many years at Exxon, Airtron in Morris Plains and NUCOMM in Hackettstown.

In 1987, Joseph moved to Dingmans Ferry, PA and spent much of his time working on his home in the Poconos.  He was an excellent craftsman - skilled in every facet of construction. There was nothing Joseph could not build, install, or repair. He was also a fine gardener and baker. Joseph enjoyed sharing his expertise - home projects, car repairs, cheesecakes in particular - with his family and friends.  

Joseph's greatest loves were his wife Karen and son William. Joseph and Karen celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June. William was Joseph's pride and joy. Joseph was a father who imparted to his son his life-long love of learning and sense of adventure. He worked diligently at sharing with William the many life-skills he learned along the way. As a family, they enjoyed many vacations – cruises, cross country trips, National Park visits, theme parks, Key West, the Adirondacks.

Joseph was predeceased by his parents Joseph John Gunther, Vincenza Gunther Steffanie, and Anthony Steffanie and his sisters Mary Ann Gunther and Susan Fehir. He is survived by his wife Karen, his son William and fiancée Jessica Dull, his sisters and their spouses Patricia Barnish, Jeanne Rattner (Steven) and Kathleen Simone (John) as well as many nieces, nephews and dear friends, who held a special place in his heart.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, August 8th at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Milford, PA. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either of the following: The Gary Sinese Foundation (Veterans/First Responders) by visiting (https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/donate); the Joseph J. Gunther Steffanie Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Contributions may be made in memory of Joseph for student financial support at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Newark College of Engineering. Checks should be made payable to the Foundation at NJIT. Please write in the memo line:  Joseph J. Gunther Steffanie Memorial Scholarship and mail to: Foundation at NJIT; 323 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.; Newark, NJ 07102.