Obituary of Joseph S. Restifo

Joseph S. Restifo, 89, a longtime resident of both Delmar and Westerlo, NY, passed away on November 6, 2020 after a life well lived. He was born on July 23, 1931 in Albany, NY and was the son of the late Sebastian and Dorothy (Wilke) Restifo. Soon after, the family moved to Delmar, NY where Joe remained for most of 40 years. Joe attended high school at both Bethlehem Central High School and Vincentian Institute in Albany, NY. He was voted “most scientific”, worked on the school newspaper, and was a member of the football and track teams. He then spent a year at Siena College before continuing his education for 5 years in monastery life. During his 3.5 years at the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist Monastery in Kentucky, one of Joe's teachers was the famed monk, Fr. Thomas Merton, who Joe continued to follow through the years via his many books and lectures. Joe also spent time with the Cistersion monks in Rochester, NY and the Carthusians in Vermont before returning to lay life due to health problems. Throughout his life, Joe remained a devoted Catholic as an active parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar for 49 years and at St John the Baptist Church in Greenville for 40 years. Between the 2 churches, he sang in the choir, and was a lector, a cantor, and a Eucharistic minister. Joe had a long career as a Systems Analyst for the State of NY, mostly in the Department of Motor Vehicles. He also loved classical music and opera, his beloved books, his 2 cats, JJ and Minnie, and the great outdoors. For many years, he participated in yearly retreats at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA with his brother, Al. After 40 years in Delmar, Joe moved to the country in Westerlo, NY where he built a house on 17 acres, and over the years acquired additional property until he was surrounded by 113 acres of nature where he enjoyed long walks among the wildlife. He was an active member of the Adirondack Mountain Club and eventually hiked 18 of the high peaks in NY. When Joe had to return to Delmar, he donated 51 acres of wetlands on his property to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy who established The Restifo Preserve which is available to the public for hiking and wildlife observation. Joe was predeceased by his parents, his stepmother, Anna (Anita) Restifo and his older brother, Alfred P. Restifo. He is survived by his two Godchildren, niece Therese Hendricks (husband Walter) of Hopewell Jct, NY and grand-nephew Kevin Hendricks of Framingham, MA, and his additional nephews/niece and their spouses: Mark Restifo (Sherill) of Ghent NY, Stephen VanDyke-Restifo (Edna) of Voorheesville, NY, Bernard Restifo (Patsy) of Erwin, NC, David Restifo (Nancy) of Southport, NC, Christopher Restifo (Theresa) of Voorheesville, NY, and Karen Coleman (Thomas) of Walden, NY. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Valerie Thompson, his cousin, Larry Wilke (Sally), and many grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Visitation will be on Saturday, November 14th, from 8:30am to 9:30am at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00am at St. Thomas the Apostle Church Chapel, 35 Adams Place, Delmar, NY. Following the Mass, burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, 481 Rte 9W, Glenmont, NY. The family would like to thank all those who helped care for Joe over the last 10 years when he needed a helping hand. Memorial donations may be made in Joe's memory to The Alzheimer’s Association, (www.alz.org/hudsonvalley) or to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (www.mohawkhudson.org).