Joel (Joe) Michael Spirito

Born on March 20, 1955, in Elkhart, Indiana
Passed April 8, 2025 in West Melbourne, Florida

Joel (Joe) Michael Spirito was born into a predominantly Italian family in Elkhart, Indiana, on March 20, 1955. A typical little boy, he loved to be outside. He would often go in the back yard when he was 5 years old and lay on the ground under his grandpa’s tomato plants because they smelled good.

The family moved to Florida in 1964 and rented a home in Cape Canaveral within walking distance of the water where Joe would watch the boats and submarines come in and out of the port. He also learned to fish and that was his passion throughout his life. He caught his first shark at 9 years old and was hooked forever. He always said if he had not married Debbie, he would have been happy as a hermit living on the banks of the St. Johns River. I suppose he’ll spend eternity there.

He and his family settled in West Melbourne, bought a house and that’s where he grew up. He made lots of lifelong friends and they played ball in open fields around the neighborhood and that’s where he saw Debbie Wells, his future wife. That day he went home and told his mother he had just seen the most beautiful girl in the world.

Joe and Debbie married on July 16, 1977, and had two beautiful daughters Breena and Sheila and four grandkids Noah, Taylor, Blake and Liliana. Joe had a lot of knowledge and know-how to pass on and he taught his daughters some basic life lessons. Like the time he bought them rakes, wrote their names on them, and yes, taught them what they were for. He bought a pink tool bag for each of them and taught them how to use all the tools inside, and how to put air in a tire. He bought gloves, bats and balls and taught them how to throw, catch and hit. The family spent many years at Rhodes Park watching them play little league softball. Fun times.

He collected air guns and loved to spend hours at target practice, he was a marksman. Joe was a quiet man, you wouldn’t say a religious man, but he did believe in the Ten Commandments (being the best person you can be) and a higher power, that just might fly around in a spaceship. Joe was a bit of a conspiracy theorist. He was an avid watcher of all educational channels and yes, any shows or documentaries that had anything to do with aliens because he was fascinated with the subject.

Joe’s celebration of life will be Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 11 am at Brownlie Maxwell Funeral Home, 1010 E. Palmetto Avenue, Melbourne, Florida 32901.

Joe lived the life he wanted to live. He will live in our hearts forever.