JOSEPH G.S. LESNIAK

LESNIAK, JOSEPH G.S., 89, of Coventry, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at home on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Lucille M. (Lemery) Lesniak. In April, they would have celebrated their sixty-third year of marriage.

Born in Coventry, he was the son of the late Stanley and Bernadette (Levesque) Lesniak.

As a young boy, Joseph helped in the original construction of Saint Vincent de Paul Church in Coventry, by laying bricks for ten cents per day. He would also enjoy time with his grandfather, going to Coney Island, where he would parachute jump off of the 250 foot tall “Parachute Jump” thrill ride. It was there, where he found his love of skydiving, which proved to serve him well when he enlisted in the United States Army. During the Korean war, he was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 508th Airborne Division, 505th Infantry Division, 501st Infantry divisions. He also served in Nevada during the testing of the atomic bomb. Joseph later worked as a painter at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, CT, from where he retired after 36 years.  

He was a member of the Anthony PNA, Coventry Hockey Association, Club Frontenac, Phenix Sportsmen’s Club, and the Anthony Athletic Association, where he would swim in the Pawtuxet River in Coventry. Joseph enjoyed woodworking, and was an accomplished cabinet maker. He loved spending time in his garden, and with his beloved Rottweilers. 

Joseph is survived by his loving children, Paulette Lesniak, Gerard “Jerry” Lesniak, Dennis M. Lesniak, and Christine A. Velleco, her husband David, all of Coventry. He was the brother of Patricia Cook, her husband Peter, Louise Jubin, her husband Henry, and the late Dorothy Lesniak. Grandfather of Neil, Eric, Allison, and Ian Lesniak, and  Joseph and Angela Velleco;  great-grandfather of 6. 

A visiting hour, while observing Social Distance Guidelines, will be held Monday, March 29, 2021 from 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM in the Iannotti Funeral Home, 415 Washington St. (RTE 117), Coventry. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 AM in St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6 St. Vincent de Paul St., Coventry. Burial with full Military Honors to follow at the RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Joseph’s memory can be made to Beacon Hospice (www.amedisys.com). Arrangements by the Iannotti Funeral Home.

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