Joseph V. Masi Sr. Service Information

Joseph Vito Masi, Sr., resident of The Farms at Gloria Dei in Hatboro, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Memory Care at Gloria Dei.  A lifelong Philadelphia sports fan, in his final hours he had his family by his side and the Phillies home opener on the television. He was 5 weeks shy of his 89th birthday.

Joe was born and raised in South Philadelphia on May 16, 1933, to Rose and Frank Masi.  A talented artist and craftsman, he attended BOK Vocational Technical School in South Philadelphia where he majored in Art. He left school at the age of 16 to support his mother and three sisters.  Joe had a lifelong love of automobiles, and that would shape his professional life as a gifted Certified Master mechanic.  In his early driving years, Joe was a member of the South Philly Road Runners Car Club and was a real car guy who loved drag racing his ‘33 Olds, ‘57 T-Bird, and many others.  After he was honorably discharged from the US Army, Joe returned to South Philly where he met and married the love of his life, Eleanor Bryan. They married on her birthday, August 5th, 1961, at St Edmonds Church in South Philadelphia. He followed his love of cars and began work as a mechanic at Girard Chevrolet at 59th & Lancaster Ave in West Philly.  Soon after, he took the leap, with Eleanor by his side, to launch the first Masi’s Exxon in Northeast Philadelphia at Welsh & Roosevelt Blvd in 1971. He eventually became a dealer for Exxon and was given the Feasterville location at Street Road and Bustleton Pike in 1972. This allowed him to move his growing family to Feasterville in 1973, until they retired in 1994.  A true husband and wife team, Joe focused on the mechanics side and Eleanor on the business side.  For many years, he enjoyed hooking up the family camper for trips to Disneyworld for Christmas, complete with the Christmas tree strapped on the top. During the summers, they visited Duck Neck Campground in Chestertown, MD with extended family and friends. Summers were filled with boating, crabbing, laughing, and bonfires which made for endless fun and great memories.  A lifelong Philadelphia sports fan, Joe loved his Eagles, Phillies and Flyers and did not stray far from any game on the tube. He especially adored his grandbabies, and was eager to hold, feed, babysit, have sleepovers, join class trips and enjoy all of his grandchildren especially in their early years.  

After retiring, he and Eleanor moved to Buckingham Village in New Hope, PA followed by Gainesville, Florida, where he became an avid Florida Gators fan. After 9/11, they returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to grandkids and settled in the Neshaminy Falls Village in North Wales, PA.  Over the years, Joe went back to his pencil and chalk drawings and portraits. Into retirement, Joe found his way back to his talents doing woodcrafts and painting custom birdhouses and clocks for his family and grandchildren.  He also loved flower gardening and growing roses for Eleanor.  Joe was also quite the chef in his later years, and enjoyed making and sharing his Italian family recipes of delicious meats, pastas, soups, pizzelles and biscotti that he proudly passed to his children to continue on.    

Joseph is survived by his wife, Eleanor (Bryan) Masi, of Hatboro, PA, his children, Joe Jr. (Trish) Masi of Feasterville, PA, Frank Sr (Kelly) of East Amherst, NY and Nancy (Steve) Schnur of Feasterville PA, and eight grandchildren, Dan (Amber) Masi of Warminster, PA, Patrick Masi, Emily Masi, Matthew Masi, Jessica Schnur, and Zachary Schnur, all of Feasterville, PA, and Frank Masi Jr. and Nicholas Masi of East Amherst NY, sisters Marie Gazzara of South Philadelphia, Adeline Urban of Mays Landing, NJ, and brother-in-law Dr. Alfred DiPiero, along with several cousins, nieces, and nephews.  He is also survived by his 6 Godchildren: Jimmy Cappelli, Cindy Reitano Permenter, Ricky Brown, Robert Ruggerio, Michele DelVecchio-Gregory, and Tom Urban. He was preceded in death by his father Frank Masi, his mother Rose Masi, his sister Frances DiPiero, and his brother-in-law Joseph Gazzara.  

A celebration of Joseph’s entering into eternal life will take place on Monday, May 16th, 2022, on what would have been Joe’s 89th birthday. It will begin at 10:00AM with a visitation at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 611 Knowles Ave, Southampton, PA 18966. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00AM. Following, there will be a procession and burial at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Rd, Newtown, PA 18940, with ceremony promptly at 1:00PM. 

 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joseph’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association. https://www.alz.org/ .

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