Joseph Anthony Franzese

Surrounded by his loving family, Joseph Anthony "Joe" Franzese of Sugar
Land, TX went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
He was 80 years old. Born Saturday, February 13, 1943 in Brooklyn, NY, he
was the son of the late Joseph Franzese and Mary Chiavetta Franzese. He is
survived by his wife Crystal and their three children, Derek, Courtney, and
Adam; brother Peter and his wife Lisa; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Joe served as a Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1968 with
the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, 87th Engineer Company in Vietnam. He was
deeply proud of his service and had an insatiable adoration for his veteran brothers and sisters.
Joe was a master builder and spent the majority of his career working for the
international construction services company, Turner Construction. Joe's career
spanned the globe working with world-renown architects including I.M. Pei,
Philip Johnson and John Burgee. He lead the construction of several iconic
skyline-defining buildings including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Key
Tower in Cleveland as well as the Bank of America Center, JPMorgan Chase
Tower and Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston. Two of which
remain the tallest buildings in their respective states. Joe was a guest lecturer
at MIT and later served as a member of the advisory board to the School of
Architecture at Kent State University.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Joe was a devoted husband and
loving father. He approached every hobby with passion. He was an avid
fisherman, hunter and golfer until his health began to fail. He was known for
his natural wit and eagerness to learn. His departure leaves fond memories
and admiration for a life well-lived.
A visitation and memorial service will be held at Sugar Land Mortuary, 1818
Eldridge Road, on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 with visitation starting at 11 am and
the memorial service starting at 12 pm. Internment with military honors will
follow at the Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Joe's name to St.
Jude's Children's Hospital (www.stjude.org) or Tunnel to Towers Foundation (www.t2t.org)