Obituaries

Joseph Wettlaufer

August 12, 1945 - October 22, 2018

U.S. Veteran

Burial Date October 26, 2018

WETTLAUFER: Joseph Wettlaufer, 73 of Waterford entered eternal life on Oct. 22, 2018 in the company of his loving family. He was born Aug. 12, 1945 in Queens, New York the son of the late William and Julia (MacKechnie) Wettlaufer.

Joseph was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He served with the 1^st Battalion, 35^th Infantry also known as the “Fighting Gypsy”. He was awarded the Bronze Star and was Honorably Discharged.

Joseph was a life-long sports enthusiast. In his youth, he excelled in basketball, baseball and bowling. As an adult, Joseph became an avid tennis player and fan. In 1985, He met his soulmate and future wife, playing tennis at the Juniper Park tennis courts.

He was united in marriage to the former, Trish Cosenza on May 28, 1986 in New York. In the following years, Joseph and Patricia welcomed two children, Melanie and Joseph Nicholas. Joseph was a loving father who cared deeply for his family. He worked at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital for 15 years before retiring.

In his retirement, he enjoyed spending more time with his family, taking daily walks and relaxing in his backyard with the family dogs. He never missed watching a tennis match or his favorite sports teams- the New York Giants and New York Mets.

Joseph’s kind heart, sense of humor, story-telling skills and unique sense of style created instant connections with people. He was loved by so many and will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Wettlaufer and two children: Melanie Wettlaufer of Mystic and Joseph N. Wettlaufer of Waterford. Three sisters: Mary Zero, Barbara Lamparter, Jane Womack-Negron and their spouses as well as his many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Anna Cosenza and her three children.

His family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday (Oct. 27) from 10 am to 12 pm followed by a prayer service at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave. New London. Military honors will be rendered at the funeral home. A lunch reception will be held in his honor following the services from 1:00-3:00pm at the New London Holiday Inn, 35 Governor Winthrop Boulevard. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Diabetes Association.