Residents of Collingdale and neighbors across Delaware County are mourning the loss of World War II veteran Joseph Passaretti.
Passaretti died at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital on Dec. 31 at the age of 106, following a short illness.
He served in the US Army 36th Infantry, 133rd field artillery regiment and operated a 105mm howitzer during his service in WWII. Passaretti served in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany from 1942 to 1945, and was involved in five invasions in Europe and Africa. He received numerous commendations, including a Purple Heart. People took to social media to pay tribute and praise him for his service. Lisa Parks, who threw a birthday party for him in August, said, “He took a big chunk of my heart with him, but I am thankful he is at peace. I was very lucky to have known and loved him. Some people steal your entire heart. Joe was one of those people.”…