Joseph Charles Lieto

It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Joe. He was born to Joseph and Gloria Lieto in Bronx, New York on October 21, 1947. He was big brother to John, James, and Jeffrey Lieto. Our dad cherished his large extended Italian family that originated in Minori, Italy, which he visited when he was 10 years old. He had many fond memories of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, which he maintained relationships with throughout his life. In 1965, he graduated from Carmel High School and the next day left for California where the adventures of his life began. A big influence on Joe's life was his Uncle Dominick Lieto, who served as Frank Sinatra's pilot for many years. In 1967, he enlisted in the Army and achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2 after completing Army basic training and fight school. He served with distinguished service earning the Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal aka "You didn't get caught" medal, which if you knew him, he was always up to something. After completing his enlistment, Joe took the chance of a lifetime to work as a contractor in Alaska working on the Alyeska Pipeline Project. Joe soon met and married Claudia Ehlers in March of 1977. It was at this time he also became a father to Kimberly and Suzanne Brewer, whom he loved dearly right from the start. In 1979 Teresa was born and in 1984 his only son, Daniel, was born. While in Alaska, he enjoyed flying, fishing, camping, and was an active member of the VFW and Elks. Joe led an extraordinary life, and he leaves behind an impressive legacy. His sense of humor, charisma, and love of learning should serve as inspiration for all who knew and loved him. Joe is predeceased by his father (Joe), mother (Gloria), and brother (Jeffrey). He is survived by his brother James and his wife MaryEllen, brother John and his wife Mary, daughter Suzanne O'Nan, daughter Kimberly Catania and her husband Paul, daughter Teresa Metzger and her husband Ian, son Daniel, nephew James, nieces Kelly, AnnMarie (Goddaughter), Patricia, and Melissa, Cousin Teresa Duffy and his cherished grandchildren Ivie, Alex, Jake, Kieran, Landen, Joey, Nick, Caitlyn and (the new one) Cara.