Joseph Costanza Jr.

Costanza, Joseph Jr. MAZOMANIE, Wis. Joseph Costanza Jr. died of a brain hemorrhage, January 11, 2012, while snorkeling off the coast of Jamaica. A resident of Mazomanie, he was born April 30, 1948 in Brooklyn, and raised in New Baltimore. A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in civil engineering, he worked as an engineer his entire career, ultimately starting his own company, Municipal Engineering & Inspection Services in Sauk City, Wis. Joe met his best friend, soul-mate, lover and wife, Linda Bishop, in New York through rugby friends. Married for 36 years, they built a life around the things they loved, entertaining and supporting friends and family, traveling, cooking, and making the world better. Joe's gift for hospitality led to starting the Victorian Bed and Breakfast in Lodi, Wis., and founding the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association. His travels always included visiting friends and took him to places around the world. His favorite trips were to Sicily, where he connected with his Sicilian heritage and relished the cuisine and hospitality of his Italian relatives. He loved the outdoors. He was a hiker, skier, swimmer, avid biker, and rugby player. Joe played rugby for the Albany Knickerbockers, Sciota Valley (Ohio) & UW-Stout (Wisconsin). He did annual group cross-country ski and bike trips, where one friend remembers Joe declare, "I want to meet as many people as possible." He was also an accomplished home restorer and carpenter. Joe was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2008, but it did not deter him from living out his dreams, which he did until the moment he died. He advocated that Parkinson's patients remain active and embraced Zumba and Tai Chi as part of his therapeutic regime. He danced enthusiastically with bare feet and a big smile. Joe triumphed over Parkinson's with his positive attitude and determination to live life to the brim. He served as a respected mentor for teens as a "Kid's Companion" in his community and is remembered as a wise, gentle, and kind man, who believed in, and was committed to, the ideal that everyone has a right to pursue their passions. Joe is survived by his wife, Linda; sister Gerry Welch (John); brother Santo (Betty Jane); 10 nieces and nephews and two great-nephews. His parents, Joseph and Mary Costanza and brother Salvatore, preceded him in death. Please remember Joe with memorials to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research (www.michaeljfox.org), or to the Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org). Friends and family will gather this Spring to celebrate Joe's life.