Farmington Obituary: Joseph Lombardi, 89

With great sadness, we announce that Joseph Francis Lombardi, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend passed away on Sunday, September 13, 2015.

He was born in Hartford during a snow storm on April 9, 1926, the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Lombardi. A great baseball player from an early age, he was nicknamed Babe after Babe Ruth. He was a graduate of the Immaculate Conception School and Hartford Public High School, Class of 1944. On the evening of his high school graduation, he received orders to report for duty in the United States Navy and proudly and bravely served his country in World War II aboard the destroyer escort USS Coolbaugh. Following his service in the Navy he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Lowry, and together they enjoyed a beautiful 60 year marriage.

Babe was a life-long athlete. He was the star catcher on his HPHS baseball team. A talented golfer, Babe made three holes-in-one and enjoyed the sport throughout his adult life. Even at the age of 89, he was able to out-score many of his golfing companions.

He worked for Southern New England Telephone Company for 35 years in offices throughout the state. He was a New York Yankee fan, loved to read, enjoyed listening to operas and classical music, and was a crossword aficionado. He was proud of his Italian heritage and was a man true to his Roman Catholic faith. The most wonderful legacy he leaves is the love he had for all of his family and the example he set. His advice, words of wisdom, empathy, and sense of humor will be greatly missed.

Predeceased in 2007 by the love of his life, Barbara Lowry Lombardi, Babe is survived by his beloved daughters, Susan Delvecchio and her husband Robert of Higganum, Barbara O’Connor of Thomaston, Nancy Keating and her husband Michael of Winter Park, Florida; his adoring grandchildren, Kristin O’Lynnger and her husband Will, Erinn Marchetti and her husband Edward, Ryan Keating, Kathryn Keating, Allison O’Connor and her fiancé Sam Deptula, Michael Keating and John Keating; and his very special great-grandchildren, Caroline, Claire and Lindsay Madden, Benjamin, Nathan and James Marchetti, and Owen Keating. He leaves his sisters, Rita Skinner and Lillian Wojutsik of West Hartford and a sister-in-law, Martha Lombardi of Newington and many nephews and nieces who looked up to him as the patriarch of the Lombardi family. He was predeceased by his brothers, Michael, John, Louis and Alfred Lombardi, and a sister, Mary Johnson.

Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 from 8:30-9:30am. Funeral procession from The Ahern Funeral Home will be at 9:30am followed by the Funeral Liturgy in the Church of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville at 10:00am. Burial with full military honors will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Avon.

In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of Joseph and Barbara Lombardi may be made to the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06102.