Joseph R. DelPapa Jr., age 85, of Seneca Falls, passed at Geneva Living Center South, on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. Visitation will be held on Friday, July 10th, from 10:00AM until 12 NOON, with a funeral service to immediately follow, at Doran Funeral Home, 4 East Bayard St., Seneca Falls. Burial, with full military honors will follow in Spring Brook Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be directed to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Joseph was born in Waterloo, son of the late Joseph and Mary (Esposito) DelPapa Sr. He grew up in Seneca Falls and graduated from Mynderse Academy, Class of 1959. Not long after, Joseph enlisted in the US Army, where he served proudly for four years. He ended up in Germany, where he met Karin Kamuff, a young German girl who would become his wife of nearly 50 years. Joseph and Karin were married on May 15th, 1963, and in 1964 returned to Seneca Falls. In 1972, the couple relocated to Germany, where their children were born, and returned to Seneca Falls one last time in 1974.

Joseph was always a hard worker. He worked for several years at Goulds Pumps in the maintenance department, retiring in 2005 after nearly 30 years of employment. Over the years, in addition to his commitment to Goulds, Joe also ran a successful meat cutting business, raised horses at the family farm, and managed a few head of cattle. When he wasn’t working, he loved to be outside, tending to his vegetable garden and running around town in his prized 1967 red Corvette. Known for his green thumb, many in the area were on the receiving end of some of Joe’s prized garlic, which he loved to grow and give away. When he was in the meat cutting business, Joe was known for his delicious sausage and beef jerky and always loved to put on a good pig roast.

Joseph is survived by his son, Joachim (Cindy) DelPapa; four grandchildren, Joachim DelPapa Jr., Brandy (Eric) Gummerson, Lucas DelPapa, and Bobby Plate; six great-grandchildren, Emma Grace, Ava, Dezzirae, Oliver, Noah, Andrew; brothers, Rocco (Susan) and David DelPapa; and sister, Dorothea Cline. In addition to his parents, Joe was predeceased by his wife, Karin; daughter, Linda (Robert) Plate, and sister, Alice Wheeler.