Condolence: Joseph Richetti , known as Poppy Joe to most of the world. Crow to some, Dad to us. He was born and raised in South Philly and was one of ten siblings. He loved his Country His family and his friends. He loved working as an engineer, for over ten years he biked to work all the way from Delaware County to Center City because he was keeping his heart healthy. He at one time was a man who held 3 jobs so we kids could go to Catholic School. His favorite job was at Vets Stadium, he liked running into the Phillies players while he worked the mechanical aspects of the place. In his life He suffered losses that would take the average man down at the knees but he always got right back up and continued fighting. When he became a Poppy for the first time in 1994 he was so happy and excited, He loved his grandchildren and having them over the house. He would say they wrecked his house but if you told them to knock it off he would say, leave them alone. His house was the meeting spot for us kids and loved when we were there. He was forgiving, no matter who wronged him he always turned the other cheek. He welcomed all to his table, in his home and in his heart. He would ask for people he hadn’t seen in a while just to see how they were doing. He could strike up a conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere. He was kind, compassionate and strong. He never left us kids or gave up on us. Even though each and every one of us gave him a hard time as children. He didn’t care, he always loved us. We always knew he would be there when we needed him. We all also knew that he yelling at us was his way of showing how much he cared about us. He always made sure we had a few dollars in our pockets and always asked if we ate or were hungry. He was smart and could fix anything. He would often share his knowledge with us and our friends. Everyone loved a good Joe story. They would sit for hours at the table with him contently listening to his amazing tales. He was hilarious and always made us laugh with the wacky things that came out of his mouth. He liked calling people just to talk on the phone. He never lied and he said what he meant and meant what he said. These last few weeks we got to spend a lot of time with him in the hospital, he hated being in there. We hated him being in there. We tried to distract him by having him tell us stories and keeping positive. We truly thought this was just another setback and he would be back home with us entertaining us and living life. The world feels colder without him, its quieter and definitely duller. He was a big part of our lives , every single day. I have no clue how we will go on without him, I just hope he is at peace and reunited with Jason , watching over us. Dad thank you for everything you have done for us kids, for always loving us and being there when we needed you, you are our hero.