Joseph Frontera

Joseph L. Frontera, 95, died peacefully Thursday morning, Aug. 13, 2020, at his residence after enjoying a great life.

He was born April 8, 1925, in Clarendon, Pa. He was the son of John B. and Maria Saracino Frontera.

Joe was a Warren area resident most of his entire life. He was a 1943 graduate of Warren High School. While in school he was an accomplished athlete, playing on the 1941 and 1942 football and baseball teams. He also played guitar and harmonica on the street corners of Clarendon with his friends and neighbors. Upon graduation he was drafted on April 9, 1943 in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He completed his boot camp and electrical training at Great Lakes Na-val Training Center in Illinois. He was transferred to Little Creek, Va. Amphibious Base in May 1944 and assigned to LSM 168 (landing ship medium). They were sent through Panama Canal to Society Islands to Admiralty Islands where they picked up tanks and trucks, which took them to New Guinea and participated in mop up landings there. Proceeded onto the Philippine Island in October 1944 to participate in invasions of Leyte, Palawan, Mindoro, Cebu, Negros, Bohol, and Samar. In June, 1944 they participated in the invasion of Brunei Bay. Borneo, where Japanese had oil installations of Japan and received orders to invade Kyushu on Nov. 1, 1945. They would have been in the first wave, however, Japan surrendered in August, 1945 and the war was over.

Joe was discharged in December 1946 as a Petty Officer First Class Electrician and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon with 2 battle stars, Philippine Liberation Campaign Ribbon with 1 star, Combat Action Ribbon; American Theatre Ribbon, World War II Victory Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal. Upon discharge from the U.S. Navy, he worked as an electrician for Sylvania (later GTE) for 37 years, re-tiring in 1984.

He was an avid golfer and fly fisherman, enjoying several trips to Canada. He held memberships at Blueberry Hill Golf Course for over 30 years, where he had several friends and accom-plished getting a hole in one. He wintered at Barefoot Bay, Fla., for many years.

Joe and his wife, Sarah, loved to dance in the early years of marriage and won several dance competitions. He was an avid gardener and is remembered by his family as a man who had great love and pride for his family. They were the center of who Joe was as a person.

He is survived by his three children; Maria Lantz Frontera, Kathleen Johnson and husband, Rick, and Joseph D. Frontera all of Warren, Pa.; six grandchildren: John C. Frontera, Warren, Pa., Maria Toole and husband, Ryan of Fairview, Pa., Travis Lantz of Warren, Pa., Sara Mudd Frontera and husband, Daniel of Columbia, S.C., Rachele Clark and husband, Joshua of Wash-ington, D.C., and Christian Frontera Johnson of Warren, Pa.; four great-grandchil-dren; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Sarah L. Pellegrino Frontera, whom he married Feb. 19, 1949 in Warren, Pa., and who died Feb. 28, 1993; four brothers: Peter, Dominic, Frank and Edward Frontera; and one sister,Marion Fago.

Friends may call at the Donald E. Lewis Funeral Home Inc., 304 East St., Warren, Pa., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., where social distancing, masks will be required and only 25 people allowed in funeral home at any one time. Please enter funeral home through front door so that we can monitor attendance number.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, at Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church, 11 Russell St., Warren, Pa., at 10 a.m., with Father Stephen Schreiber, officiating. Interment will be in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Cemetery, where full military honors will be con-ducted by members of the Clarendon/Sheffield Veterans of Foreign Wars Funeral Honor Guard and the U.S. Navy personnel.

Those wishing to place memorials may do so through the Warren Chapter of Disabled American Veterans 210 North St., Warren, PA. 16365.

E-mail condolences may be sent by visiting www. lewisfuneralhomeinc.com