Joseph Connelly Gazzola

Joseph Connelly Gazzola, 23, of Cuttings Lane, North Attleboro, former Bishop Feehan High School and Northeastern University football star, died unexpectedly on Saturday, February 14, 2004 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston after a sudden illness.

Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts on August 6, 1980, he was a son of Louis C. and Patricia M. (Rego) Gazzola of North Attleboro. He was a lifelong resident of the North Attleboro community.

Mr. Gazzola was a 1998 graduate of Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro where he was a member of the school’s Big Brother program assisting lower level classmen with the transition to high school; was a member of the school track team earning three letters; played basketball during his freshman year and was a linebacker and fullback on the school’s football team his entire high school career and had served as team captain his senior year in 1997. Under his lead, the team won the Eastern Athletic Conference title three years in a row and during his last year captured the Division 3 Super Bowl. As a junior and senior he was named EAC and a Sun Chronicle All-Star and was a Boston Globe Division 2 All-Star after his final Bishop Feehan year. He had also been a Shriners Game pick. While in high school he was employed at Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods in Mansfield.

In 1998 he started his freshman year at Northeastern University in Boston majoring in sociology. 1998 was his redshirt season for the NU Huskies football team and in 1999 he was named NU’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, had three double-figured tackle games, made six stops in collegiate debut against AIC, had 11 tackles against UNH, a season-high 12 stops at Connecticut and averaged 10.3 tackles over the final three games of the season.

In 2000, he started all 11 games and led the team with an impressive 104 tackles, ninth in the league and seventh best season total in NU history – best ever by a sophomore. He has a career-high 20 tackles against Rhode Island – third best game total in NU history, started a three-week stretch in which he averaged 15 tackles a game and had four double-figure tackles games, including 19 stops in week three against New Hampshire. He also had four sacks and an interception on the season.

He played the first two games of the 2000 season before suffering a hamstring injury. Gazzola had 13 tackles in the opener at Hofstra and six at Villanova before the injury occurred. He returned to the season at play with Maine but went down with an elbow injury and missed the final six games of the season.

Mr. Gazzola was a communicant of St. Mark’s Church in the Attleboro Falls section of North Attleboro.

In addition to his parents, he leaves a sister: Jennifer R. Gazzola of North Attleboro; a brother: Ryan M. Gazzola of Windsor, New Hampshire; his maternal grandmother: Josephine (Sanocki) Rego of Fall River and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was the maternal grandson of the late John Rego and was the paternal grandson of the late Louis and Rose (Connelly) Gazzola.

Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 10:00 AM at St. Mark’s Church, Stanley Street, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro with Rev. Peter N. Graziano, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery, Attleboro.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM in the “Commonwealth Chapel” of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro.

Children’s room available during visitation.

The family requests that flowers be omitted. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Joseph C. Gazzola Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Bishop Feehan High School, 70 Holcott Drive, Attleboro, MA 02703.

To send the family an expression of sympathy, please visit our on-line register book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com.

Arrangements under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro.