Joseph G. Tropea passed away peacefully at his home in Swedesboro, NJ on December 29, 2022 at the age of 83. He is predeceased by his wife, Loretta (nee Carey), who passed away in 2004. He is survived by his son Joe (Christie), his daughter Ellen Capriotti (Dave), his daughter Lauren Bowen (Ian), and his beloved grandchildren David, Nicholas, Emma, Mia, Julianna, and Tyler. 

Joe was born at his home on Kings Highway in Swedesboro on April 11,1939. He was the youngest of four children born to Nunzio and Lucia Alessandro Tropea, and he was predeceased by his siblings John Tropea of Monroe, LA, Anna Battaglia of Gibbstown, and Fred Tropea of Gibbstown.  

Joe’s interests included a love of music and all things sports. For most of his life, he had an extensive collection of albums that he listened to regularly. He especially enjoyed all of the old standards, jazz, and music from the big band era. He was also a dedicated Philly sports fan who never missed a Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, or Villanova basketball game, and he could talk about the players and their stats with astounding accuracy. 

Although he enjoyed his sports and music, there was nothing he adored more than his family. He married the love of his life, Loretta, in 1968. They went on to have three children, and Joe was an exceptional father. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family, and he made many sacrifices to make sure they always had what they needed. When Loretta passed away after 35 years of marriage, he was heartbroken. He continued to wear his wedding ring for all of the years he was without her, and it gives his family great peace to know they are finally reunited. In the years that followed her passing, he continued to be a loving presence in the lives of his six grandchildren. “Pop-Pop’s taxi” was always running between school, practice, dance and Wendy’s with the kids in tow. He attended their sporting events, recitals, school ceremonies, and other important life occasions, and he beamed with pride any time he spoke about them. 

When Joe was a young boy, he took a keen interest in sports and had a natural affinity for them. His older brother Fred recognized Joe’s potential early on and was instrumental in helping him to pursue his athletic endeavors. Although his eldest brother John lived in Louisiana, he never failed to let Joe know that he was cheering him on from afar. His brothers were both his role models as well as his biggest supporters. 

Joe attended Swedesboro High School in the 1950’s before it closed its doors and became the Kingsway Regional School District in 1963. During his time at “Old Swedes”, Joe was one of the school’s most accomplished all-around athletes. He played baseball, basketball, and football at the varsity level all four years earning 12 varsity letters. He even managed to earn a 13th in track and field during his senior year by throwing the discus in between baseball games. This represented the most letters earned in the history of Swedesboro High School. One of the many athletic achievements he earned during his high school career included leading South Jersey basketball in scoring as a senior with 47 points in one game and ending the season with a total of 512 points. 

His athletic accomplishments as well as his outstanding academic record led to numerous scholarship offers to play basketball, baseball, and football at schools which included West Point, University of Pennsylvania, and William and Mary, however, he ultimately chose to stay local and attend LaSalle College. He began his freshman year playing basketball for the Explorers but then made the decision to transition to baseball for the remainder of his college career. He led the Mid-Atlantic Conference in three batting departments his junior and senior years, and upon graduation, he signed and began playing for the Houston Astros baseball organization. Unfortunately, his dreams of a long-term baseball career were dashed when he enlisted with the National Guard to fulfill his obligation to serve our country. In the years that followed, when asked about his athletic career, Joe would downplay his achievements and declined to speak much about them. He was a modest man who shied away from having any attention placed on himself.

Joe went on to become a teacher in the Kingsway Regional School District and later attended Glassboro State College where he earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He continued working at Kingsway for 38 years in various administrative capacities such as assistant principal and business administrator before making the decision to go back into the classroom as a middle school English teacher prior to his retirement in 2002. 

Lovingly referred to as “the mayor” by his family, it was nearly impossible to go anywhere with Joe and not have someone recognize him since he lived and worked in Gloucester County his entire life. Upon meeting people who knew Joe, he was often described with words such as “kind”, “respectful”, “empathetic”, and “a gentleman”. These descriptions always made his family exceedingly proud. Although he raised his family in Washington Township, he always maintained his ties to the Swedesboro area through his work at Kingsway. Not long after his wife’s passing, he made the decision to move back to Swedesboro in what felt like a full-circle moment to him. 

His family recently found the speech that he wrote when he was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He ended the speech by saying that he would someday like to be remembered not as a good athlete but as a “good guy”, and that goal has most certainly been achieved. He was the best guy, and he will be dearly missed by his family, his friends, and the countless others whose lives he touched.

Family and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Friday, January 6th from 10:15-11:45am at St. Clare of Assisi Church at 130 Broad Street in Swedesboro. Mass of Christian burial to follow at 12:00pm. Interment St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Swedesboro.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s memory to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 528 Fellowship Rd., Ste. B., Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 or the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 200 SE First St., Miami, FL 33131.

“A Life Well Lived Is Worth Remembering”