Aug. 8, 1962 - Jan. 5, 2024
It is with sorrow and devastation that we announce the passing of Jose “Joe” Francisco da Costa Caetano, who died unexpectedly the morning of Friday, Jan. 5, at the age of 61.
Born in the parish of Livramento, Ponta Delgada in the Portuguese Azores, to Manuel Francisco Caetano and Maria Artemisia da Costa Galego Caetano, Joe and his family emigrated to Toronto in the 1960s, where he lived until moving to the township of Severn with a family of his own. He studied at George Brown College in the 1980s and received a diploma in Marketing, Advertising and Computers. From there, Joe went on to work in a dynamic range of fields and positions, including as an Electrical Forester-Labourer Journeyperson and Supervisor, Limousine Driver and Valet, Chef, Property Manager, and a Counsellor’s Aide. Joe served as an award-winning volunteer in supportive housing at My Brother’s Place in Toronto. Through his own lived experiences with mental illness and addiction, Joe counselled generations of troubled and formerly incarcerated men and taught them the skillsets needed to re-institutionalize themselves and lead healthy social lives. In 2009, Joe received a Bravery Citation from the Ontario Provincial Police and a St. John’s Lifesaving Award for risking his life to save a trapped passenger during a fatal car crash on Highway 401. As a Good Samaritan, Joe's true passion was to help others and empower people to seek out the core of themselves, which brought him fulfillment and meaning.
A loving, much-loved, and dearly missed papa and father, Joe is survived by his dear children Kris, Julian, and Cody, and his beloved grandchildren Zion, Milo, Eli, Osias, and Aureya. He leaves behind his siblings Lidia, John, Frank, Nelia, and Irene, in addition to many nieces, nephews, and in-laws. A cat dad to Meeka and admirer of animals and the land, Joe also enjoyed cooking hearty, mountainous meals, cheering on the Leafs, and spending time behind a grill or stove, bargaining at flea markets, and relishing the outdoors, where he often walked, hiked, camped, fished, and found peace. Above all, he loved to spend time with his family. Those closest to Joe will remember him for his community-building, kindness, protection, and spirit.
A private service to honour Joe’s life will get held in Barrie at Legacy Funeral Home. Close friends and family are invited to attend and share memories of Joe by contacting one of his children. The family requests that any donations get made to Regeneration House Community Services (“My Brother’s Place”) in Joe's memory.