Anthony Joseph Palazzo, 99, a World War II Army veteran and former shoe dyer and state worker, died Friday, January 25, 2019 at Sunny View Nursing Home, Warwick. He was the husband of the late Concetta Florence (Papa) Palazzo. They had been married for 62 years.
Born in West Warwick, a son of the late John Palazzo and Mary (Dombrosca) Palazzo, he had lived in Providence for many years before he moved to Warwick in 1997. He had fought on Omaha Beach in Normandy shortly after D-Day in 1944, serving in an anti-aircraft unit, and in various battles in central Europe. He was the oldest guest of Honor Flight TANGO, which flew to Washington, D.C., in September.
He had been a shoe color expert for 30 years at the former Outlet Co. and a courier for 15 years for the state of Rhode Island before he retired in 1986. Mr. Palazzo enjoyed playing 500 Rummy, talking about the weather and watching the waves at Oakland Beach. He loved tennis, having learned the game from parish priests in West Warwick, where he grew up. He was a fan of the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox. He most enjoyed spending time at family dinners, get-togethers and holiday gatherings.
He leaves a son, Stephen Palazzo, and his wife, Sally Miller; a daughter, Susan Robin, and her husband, Wayne; and four grandchildren, Lauren and Leah Palazzo and Ashley and Chelsea Robin. He was the brother of the late Mary DeVito, Rose Detroia, and Madeline, Lucy, and Pasco Palazzo.
The funeral will be held Tuesday at 8 a.m. from the Urquhart-Murphy Funeral Home, 800 Greenwich Avenue, Warwick followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Francis of Assisi Church, 596 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. Burial with military honors will be in Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to RI Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub, 25 Fairbanks St., Providence, RI. www.murphyfuneralhomes.org
