Joseph B. Capello

February 20, 1925 - March 14, 2016

Joseph B. Capello Sr., 91, of Port Arthur passed away on Monday, March 14, 2015 at The Medical Center of Southeast Texas.

Joseph was born on February 20, 1925 in Lockhart, Texas to parents Helen (Benavides) and Damian Capello. He served his country in WWII in the US Army and US Air Force. While serving with the 9th Armored Division under General Patton he fought with U.S. forces to claim the Remagen bridge and to liberate Buchenwald, the Nazi concentration camp.
He had lived in the Port Arthur area since 1946 and was a member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. Joseph was employed for 35 years at Gulf as a painter. He was a master carpenter, an outstanding bridge player, and a gardener with a green thumb. Joseph was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend who will be missed dearly.

He was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers and two sisters.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Alicia (Rojo) Capello of Port Arthur; son, Joe Capello Jr. and wife, Michele (Collins) of Sugar Land; daughter, Karrie Washenfelder and husband, Tom of Richmond; sister, Hortence Campos of Waco. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Karrie Beth Wheatley and husband, Richard, Angela Washenfelder, Jacob Washenfelder, Colin Capello and Cayden Capello; great grandchild, Toby Wheatley and numerous nieces and nephews.


A visitation will be held on Friday, March 18, 2016 from 5 pm until 8 pm at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home, with a rosary to be prayed at 6:30 pm at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 10:30 AM at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Port Arthur, with Rev. Dan Malain, celebrant. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Groves.


Honoring Joseph as pallbearers will be Joe Capello Jr., Keith Capello, Tom Washenfelder, Colin Capello, Cayden Capello and Richard Wheatley