Joseph Cannarella

Joseph Cannarella, 91, passed away on February 20, 2026 at Cornerstone Hospice Center in Lady Lake, Florida after a brief illness.

Joe was born on March 27, 1934 in Hartford, CT to Santo and Mary Cannarella. He had fond memories working in a pharmacy from the age of 14, and, along with his brother Ray, working in their father’s print shop. He was an Eagle Scout and an ROTC cadet in high school.

Joe obtained his degree in pharmacy from the University of Connecticut in 1956. He entered the Army that same year as a Second Lieutenant at Fort Carson, Colorado where he managed the pharmacy. The following year he married Mary Jo Hagius. The newlywed couple moved to New England in 1958 to raise a family. Joe became a salesman for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and soon advanced to regional manager for New England. He retired from Wyeth in 1998.

Joe was also an officer in the Army Reserve and served as a unit commander. He retired from the reserves in 1997 having attained the rank of Colonel.

He was a lifelong hunter and fisherman. He was very involved with the Nashua (NH) Fish and Game Club where he served as President and taught courses on outdoor survival. He was also a successful small business owner and his company created Sav-T-Pak, an outdoor survival kit for hunters. In 1991 he and Mary Jo started Can-Dee-Apple cattery specializing in several varieties of Siamese cats.

Joe and Mary Jo enjoyed traveling domestically and internationally. Their lives were nearly cut short in 1998 when their charter cruise ship Moby Dick sank off the coast of the Galapagos Islands. They survived the night at sea and were rescued the next morning, but four passengers and a crew member died. That did not stop them from traveling, however.

For many years they lived the RV snowbird life, returning to Nashua, New Hampshire in the Spring. In 2013 they bought a home in The Villages, Florida and were snowbirds until permanently settling here in 2021.

In The Villages Joe was quite active with the woodworking shop, and coordinated CPR training with The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). In between all of this, he barely had time for golf, but still managed to go on a regular basis into his 90’s.

Joe is predeceased by Mary Jo Hagius, his wife of 67 years, by his sister Frances Mackey, and brother Raymond Cannarella. He is survived by his two children Ronald Cannarella and Catherine Haines, son-in-law Eric Haines, by two grandchildren, Ryan and Evan Haines and by several nieces and nephews.

Joe’s Funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at 10 a.m., at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church,1351 Paige Place, Lady Lake (The Villages), FL 32159. A reception will immediately follow at Dignity Memorial Life Celebration Center, 7134 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785. Interment will be at the Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Ave., Bushnell, FL 33513, 2PM, following the Celebration of Life service. The Florida National Cemetery is located about a 40-45 minute drive south of Wildwood.

The Mass will be live-streamed and archived on St Timothy’s YouTube channel at @st.timothycatholicchurchla9589

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Doctors Without Borders.