Joseph Orazio Celtruda (82), a longtime resident of Hopewell Junction NY, passed away peacefully on October 10th, with his sons at his side. Joe, fondly known as Papa to his grandchildren, was born January 30, 1940 in Ossining, NY the son of Joseph and Julia Celtruda.

Joe received his bachelor's degree from Clarkson University in Electrical Engineering on a ROTC scholarship and started his 32-year career with IBM in 1961, while also serving 11 years of active and reserve service as a Captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

While at IBM, Joe was a leader in advanced processor design for mainframe computing and was directly involved with major IBM product developments, as well as authoring two U.S. patents and multiple technical publications.

Joe had many hobbies and interests in retirement, including: wine making, golfing, gardening, grilling, using his ingenuity and craftsmanship to solve a myriad of projects around the house. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandchildren. In his later years, much time was spent in his battle with cancer and caring for his wife, yet throughout he always maintained his infectious smile and optimistic attitude.

Joe was predeceased by his parents Joseph and Julia Celtruda and by his sister Joan Gaeta. He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years Catherine Celtruda (Graf); his sister Mary Ellen Tanaka of Venice, FL; his sons Joseph (Patricia) Celtruda of Mechanicville, NY; and Michael (Desiree) Celtruda of Brookline, MA; and by his 5 grandchildren: Joseph, Nicholas, Matthew, Rafael, and Bianca, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, October 16 from 2 – 5 p.m. at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 17 at St. Denis Church, 602 Beekman Road, Hopewell Junction, followed by internment at St. Denis Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joe's memory to the American Cancer Society. Please visit his Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.