Joseph Frank Fondacaro

Fondacaro, Joseph Frank
BALLSTON LAKE - Joseph Frank Fondacaro (Joe, Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle), of Ballston Lake, passed away at home after a brief illness on June 21, 2023. Joe was born in the midst of the Great Depression, on May 12, 1936, to Helen and John Fondacaro in Amsterdam.
Joe graduated from Amsterdam High School in 1954, and then the Amsterdam School of Commerce. He then worked as an office manager for McManus, Longe, Brockwell, and later General Steel Fabricators, Inc. In his spare time, he nurtured his lifelong passions for cars, motorsports, and the New York Yankees.
In 1957, he met Mary Sisario, then a student at Amsterdam High School, at a friend's birthday party. They were joined in Holy Matrimony on August 25, 1962. They moved to their first home in Rotterdam and there welcomed, Renee and Michael, to their family. Then David arrived, and with that a move to Clifton Park.
Mary and Joe made every possible sacrifice for their children, ensuring that they were well, happy, educated, and prepared, for productive lives. While always busy with work and the upkeep of the home, Joe made time for his kids, practicing sports skills, studying vocabulary and spelling, and sitting in front of a roaring fire on winter Sunday afternoons.
In 1994, Joe found his most fulfilling work as the first surgical waiting area coordinator at Albany Medical Center. In a role that was created for him by the hospital, he served as a liaison between the doctors and families of patients. His empathy and calm demeanor earned him Albany Med's Employee of the Month Award. It was work Joe was proud of, and rightfully so, as he made a real difference in a time of great stress for families. Joe continued to volunteer at Albany Med for years after his retirement.
Joe enjoyed travel. He loved the annual family vacations on Cape Cod, and also the 1976 family trip to Disney World. Joe and Mary also traveled regularly to see Henry and Renee in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle. Their first international trip was a visit to Dublin, Ireland, where Renee was on an extended work assignment. They later explored their family origins in Italy and Sicily and also traveled to Spain.
After retirement from Albany Med, for 11 straight Januarys, Joe and Mary visited the Hawaiian Islands. Joe was a different man the minute he got off the plane, donning his shorts and one of his many Hawaiian shirts. He lived and loved the Aloha spirit!
Joe is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Mary; his children, Renee (Henry Sowizral), Michael (Manisha), and David (Allison); the true lights of his life, grandsons, Samuel and Benjamin; his sisters, Janet Adamchick, and Judith (the late George) Brown; and seven much-loved nieces and nephews, Tom, Teresa, Christine, Nick, Julie, Ben, and Gregg.
He was predeceased by his parents, John and Helen, who in 2011 with Helen's passing, reunited in the afterlife. Joe had their engagement photo by his bed in his final days.
Joe always ended his regular FaceTime calls with Renee saying "Ciao!" So we, his loving family, say: Ciao, Joe. You will be missed and never forgotten. Thank you for sharing your beautiful life. Your work is done. Rest in peace and know that all is well.
The family wishes to thank all of the dear friends and family who visited Joe in his final days and made his whole life richer. So many of you helped our family in our time of need.
He loved you all.
The family would like to thank Community Hospice for their invaluable advice and gentle care for Joe. Thank you, Jen, Colleen, Belinda, and team. You are angels on earth. Finally, the family would also like to thank another angel, Valerie Guy, who helped care for Joe until the moment of his passing.
Joe's friends and family are invited to visit on Wednesday, July 5, at 11 a.m. at Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home, 21 Midline Road, Ballston Lake, NY 12019. A celebration of life will be held at 12 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Joe's name, be made to: Community Hospice, 179 Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, or The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, 965 Albany-Shaker Road, Latham, NY 12110.