Joseph G. Rio was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Joe was the oldest of three brothers. He is survived by his youngest brother, Raymond, his wife, Catherine, his son, Nicholas, and his pooch, Lola.
Joe was a brilliant, intelligent man with a wide breadth of knowledge and a love of science. Joe received a PhD in Toxicology at St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens. Joe was a Forensic Toxicologist first at a lab in Westchester County for 13 years. He then moved to the Medical Examiner’s office in Nassau County, NY for 20 years. He worked incredibly hard to provide the best life for his family.
In 1988, Joe met the love of his life, Cathy. Joe and Cathy were married August 12, 1990; their 29th anniversary would have been this August. Joe and Cathy raised one son, Nicholas.
Joe lived in a few different parts of New York before he moved to Long Island, where he discovered his passion for model airplanes, karate, and fishing. Joe was also a master of carpentry and woodworking. Joe was a member of a model airplane club for several years. He then joined a karate dojo, The Martial Arts Institute in Massapequa, NY, where he met some of his lifelong friends and became the warrior he was. He worked his way to black belt, when he began to teach children and adults and shared his passion of the art with them. He also spent a lot of his time fishing off the beaches of Long Island, where he met some more of his lifelong friends. Being on the beach fishing was his happy place.
Joe and Cathy moved to Fort Myers in 2015 after retiring and planning to travel the world together. Joe and Cathy loved taking cruises together, road tripping cross country, and visiting their beloved friends all around the country. They discovered a love for sightseeing and cruising together. They traveled to all different parts of the Caribbean by ship, and drove cross country all the way to Oregon, stopping in places like Memphis, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon.
Joe will be missed dearly. He passed away early morning, June 1st, 2019, at his beloved home under the care of his family and Hope Hospice, who he and his family are eternally grateful for their bountiful compassion. Joe is now with his beloved dog who crossed the rainbow bridge in January of 2015, and with his middle brother Vincent, Mom, Dad, and Grandparents all of whom he loved dearly. Joe was a warrior; he fought his illness for over ten months – he fought hard and long to stay with us for as long as he could. We don’t like to say he lost his battle to cancer, rather, he fought his absolute hardest and beat many of the odds. He will always be in our hearts and our thoughts. We will love you and cherish you forever Joe.
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