Joseph D'Agostino, 72, Devoted Cleveland Sports Fan

He was born (with the given name of Giuseppe) on Sept. 19, 1948, in Locri, Calabria, Italy, to Antonio and Rosa D’Agostino. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1955, and they settled in Cleveland.

Joseph attended Benedictine High School (class of 1967) on a football scholarship, then graduated cum laude from John Carroll University in 1971 with a B.A. in history. He volunteered at Our Lady of the Wayside in Avon, OH, caring for children with developmental disabilities. Here he discovered a love of nursing and also met the love of his life, Maureen. They got engaged after one date, and never looked back.

Joseph graduated from Lorain County Community College in 1981 and became a registered nurse. He began his nursing career in the cardiac care unit at St. Joseph Hospital in Lorain before working in hospice and home health care for many years. Joseph and his wife and children lived in Garfield Heights, OH, Oberlin, OH, and Elyria, OH. He was a devout Roman Catholic and was an active member of Sacred Heart Church in Oberlin and later St. Vincent de Paul Church in Elyria. He attended daily mass and led film nights at his parish.

Joseph was a true jokester his whole life, brandishing his bag of tricks and bad puns with abandon. He followed sports with a passion, particularly baseball, and was a devoted fan of Cleveland’s teams, no matter how many times they broke his heart. He also was a movie aficionado, especially of classic Westerns. He never hesitated to share his opinions on the sports or movies he loved.

Survivors include his spouse of 42 years, Maureen (née Koeblitz); children Paul D’Agostino (Kathleen Soon), Daniel D’Agostino (Jessica), Edward D’Agostino (Krystyna Kozlowski), Michael D’Agostino (Joanna), John D’Agostino (Dayle), Clare Sharp (C.J.) and Maureen’s son Walter Lapchynski (Christina); grandchildren, Sierra, Evelyn, Amos, William, Suzette, Emma, Chiara, and Elinor; and siblings Maria Diorio (Tony), Carmella Kofron (Mark), and Roslyn Hashiguchi (Don). Joseph is further survived by many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, godchildren, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Antonio and Rosa, and his mother- and father-in-law, Dorothy and William Koeblitz.

Visitation will be Thursday from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel – 3224 Broadway Avenue, Lorain. Funeral services will be Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the funeral chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00 a.m. in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church – 41295 North Ridge Road, Elyria Township. Reverend John C. Retar, pastor of the parish will officiate. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery – Elyria.