Joseph Tovani, 88
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Joseph Tovani, 88, of Bradenton, Fla., passed away peacefully in his sleep at Tidewell Hospice in Bradenton on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.
He was born on Aug. 20, 1934, in North Adams to Joseph W. Tovani Sr. and Doris Williams Tovani.
Mr. Tovani attended Drury High School, where he was a member of the band. After high school, he attended barber school and set up a barber shop with Gus Jammalo on River Street and then on Eagle Street in North Adams. After many years of barbering, the pair opened Eagle Variety Store.
He was also an inventor who never opened a book on electronics in his life but impressively created a photoelectric cell device in the early 1960s with which he started and pre-heated his car from his house. He was an avid skeet shooter as well as a member of the National Guard. After his retirement, he moved to Florida.
Mr. Tovani leaves three daughters, Kathleen Poirot and Karen Tovani Ward and her husband, Richard Carl Ward, all of Bradenton, and Susan Tovani of Hawaii; his sister, Cynthia McGrory of North Adams, and his loving companion, Carole Modarelli, with whom he made his home. He also leaves his grandchildren Vanirose Corpuz (Jerome Gomes) of Hawaii and Mark Poirot-Colleary (Matthew) of Brighton, and four great-grandchildren, Santino, Marcelina, Julius, and Grace Gomes of Hawaii, along with several nieces and nephews.
FUNERAL NOTICE: There will be no calling hours. AM Cremation & Funeral Care of Palmetto, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.