Joseph Domenico

(or "Snooper Joe", "Joe Snoop", "Snoopy"-were all monikers by which he was known to his friends), left us on May 15th, 2008. A retired city of Somerville MA firefighter; Joe presently was a Charter Boat Captain who ran his own custom sport fisherman- the "Snooper", out of Wellfleet, MA. Joe spent winters in North Palm Beach, Fl, where he kept the "Snooper Too" as a recreational pastime. Suffice it to say; Joe lived for fishing and boating. He built his first boat-a 21-foot inboard cabin cruiser at the fire station in Somerville. Joe's skills as a carpenter & mechanic combined with the most positive "can-do" spirit imaginable truly made him what most of us would call the ultimate "jack-of-all-trades." This was a man that was always there to lend a hand to friends and family without a second thought. He was an original founder of both the Broad Sound Tuna Club and Point of Pines Yacht Clubs in Revere, MA. Taking his family fishing for Striped Bass & Giant Bluefin Tuna from the ports of Revere, Wellfleet, & Provincetown MA, Joe was at the forefront of that sport - having won numerous awards from the Cape Cod Charter Boat Assoc., this included Giant Bluefin Tuna over 1000 pounds. In addition to that, he fished the Palm Beach waters for Sailfish, Kingfish and Dolphin for over 45 years. Recognized as one of the top fisherman of his time, his idea of retirement was to begin chartering his 36-foot "Snooper" for striped bass and bluefish. There are no words to express the energy & drive that this man possessed. He did not know how to not-finish something. As a father and mentor, he epitomized the words "firm but fair". As companion to Pamela Banas for the past 20 years, he was a friend and partner in the most mutually adoring ways possible. From his marriage to Nancy, as father to Joyce and John, father-in-law to Susan and grandfather to Angela, his devotion to family was among his most enviable qualities. Joe knew how to set priorities in life - family came first. His brother William Domenico and his family were constant topics of his conversation. He loved to visit & see his niece from Texas & 3 nephews & their children in Georgia. In addition to his best friend of over 50 years, Ritchie Dragone, Joe had an amazing number of friends & family who loved, respected & will surely miss him. Having survived World War II, aboard landing craft & other vessels, was something Joe had only begun discussing in detail in the past few years. This ferocious "do the right thing and don't expect any praise" attitude followed him through 20-plus years as a firefighter, where he risked his life during some of the most volatile times the Boston area has ever seen. Joe was by anyone's description a Hero - having put himself in harms way time after time to help others in these roles. This dedication to duty was not without consequence, as Joe was hospitalized more than once for injuries & ailments that although were serious, were also part of the man that he was - a success. He died the way he lived his life - on his own terms. If there was ever a man that exemplified the lyrics of Frank Sinatra's song, `I Did It My Way', Captain Joseph A. Domenico would be that person. A maritime ceremony celebrating his life was held in Florida on July 12, 2008 and will be held on Cape Cod August 23, 2008. For more information, 508-737-6939