Joseph Anthony Farinella of San Jose passed away Sunday, November 12, 2006, after a brief illness. He had recently celebrated his 79th birthday, surrounded by his family.
He was born in Rochester, New York, but had lived in California for over 50 years. Joseph and his wife, Shirley, also spent five years in Colorado, before moving to San Jose.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Shirley, his daughters; Michele (Loren) Rundle, Dia (Michael) Hoshida, Loretta (David) Weinkam, and Karen (Eric) Sherman, sons; Christopher (Pati) Conklin and Dwight (Diane) Herrick, grandchildren; Stephen (Emily), Thomas, Alan, and William Hoshida, Claire and Owen Rundle, Danielle and Samantha Conklin, Chad and Caty Herrick, and Samuel Sherman; and nephew Jack Taddeo.
Joseph was a 1949 graduate of Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, and remained a lifelong supporter of the school and football team. He was an active member of the ND Alumni Association and enjoyed attending the Notre Dame-Stanford games with the local chapter of the Alumni Association. In recent years, he looked forward to attending his annual reunions back in South Bend and visiting his daughter, Loretta, in Cincinnati.
Joseph and Shirley also loved to travel, especially to Europe, where they met. Their last trip was to visit the town of Geraci, Sicily, where his father was born.
There will be a memorial service for Joseph at Habing Family Funeral Home, 129 Fourth St., Gilroy, Friday, November 17, at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Heart Association.