Joseph Valentino Berola

Surrounded by his loving family, Joseph (Joe) Valentino Berola, 81, of Houston, passed away peacefully Monday, July 16, 2018.

He was born on August 26, 1936 in Monongahela and was the son of John Baptist Berola and Elizabeth Barbara Trunzo Berola.

Joe was a 1954 graduate of Chartiers High School. On October 6, 1956, he married his high school sweetheart and true love, Charmaine Faith Wargo, who survives. They have been married 61 years.

Joe worked as a store manager at Thorofare grocery stores for 23 years. He was also a boilermaker and a construction worker at Colosimo & Sons. As he neared retirement, he returned to the grocery industry and worked for Golden Dawn, Foodland, Lombardi’s, and Shop ‘n Save.

Joe was a founding member, past-president, past-treasurer, and lifetime member of the Raccoon Valley Sportsman’s Club and a former member of Canonsburg Sportsmen’s Club and Westland Sportsman’s Club. He was a Hunter Safety Instructor for 25 years and an active member of the NRA. He was a highly skilled and avid hunter and fisherman who travelled extensively throughout the United States and Canada, providing sustenance for his family and others for many years.

He was well-known for his cooking and the remarkable and beautiful garden he tended to each year. He generously shared his produce and phenomenal meals with anyone who entered his home.

Also surviving are three children, Michael Berola and Gino Berola of Houston, and Gina Marie Berola Wilkes (Jeff) of Pittsburgh; two grandchildren, Megan Berola and Joe Moss; four great-grandchildren, Shylynn Hamiliton, Mia and Kaleb Gilpin, and Owen Moss; and a great-great-grandson, Zeke Jones. His sister, Rose Marie “Chee Chee” Siek, is deceased.

Friends will be received from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday, July 20 in the McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd., Robert K. McIlvaine, owner/supervisor, 27 Cherry Ave., Houston, PA 15342, where a blessing service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 21, 2018 with Rev. Donald Chortos officiating. Interment will be private.

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