Joseph A. Pisano
1954 - 2026
Joseph A. Pisano
Joseph A. Pisano, 71, passed away peacefully at home on August 12, 2026.
Joe grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and carried fond memories of his early years, including two years spent as a child on his grandfather’s dairy farm in Puerto Rico, where he also returned most summers until he was 14. Those early days on the farm helped shape a lifelong love of good food and hard work and mastery of the Spanish language.
Joe built a career in the grocery and food industry, beginning as a butcher at George’s Meat and Deli. He moved to North Carolina for work at Talley’s Green Grocery in Charlotte. He later moved to Whole Foods in Winston-Salem, before retiring from Food Lion in 2014 when he and Julia moved to Kansas.
Above all, Joe’s true passion was cooking. He loved nothing more than preparing fabulous meals for his friends and family, bringing people together around the table with generosity and skill. He also provided the entertainment with his animated storytelling.
He and Julia shared a love of travel, exploring extensively together over the years. Among his most treasured trips was a mission trip to Cuba in 2010, an experience that held special meaning for him throughout his life. After returning to NC, upon his wife’s retirement, they both looked forward to more traveling and enjoyed taking the train on several trips. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer took over Joe’s life and their dream retirement came to a close.
Joe also loved playing on his X Box. His favorite games were Halo and Destiny. He spent hours playing with his nephew and a dear friend from New York. He and Julia dressed his Destiny characters appropriately.
His grandchildren were the apple of his eye, and he cherished every moment spent with them.
Joe is survived by his wife, Julia Turner; his son, Joseph Pisano, and wife Maria, of Rockville Centre, NY, and their son, Enzo Pisano; and his daughter, Lauren Pisano, of Los Angeles, CA, and her son, Weston Mastropietro.
Joe’s ashes will be spread in Puerto Rico, a place close to his heart, at some point within the next year. Details will follow.
Joe will be remembered for his warmth, his generosity, and the joy he found in feeding and caring for the people he loved.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at Pancan.org or by mail at P.O. Box 5041, Boone, IA 50950-0041.
Please send notifications to Julia Turner at jhturnernc76@spectrum.net.
Joe was my “meat man” at Whole Foods and Julia worked with me at Triad. This was prior to their marriage. It was a shock when I went to Julia’s office and there was Joe’s picture. We got a laugh out of my reaction “why do you have a picture of my “meat man” on your desk?” It was destiny that these two wonderful people got together and brought so much happiness to each other. It ended way too soon but cancer is a beast without boundaries. My heart goes out to Julia and Joe’s family now and the days to come.
SergeantRock was Joe’s online gaming name. Joe, Mark, Randal and I would spend hours playing games online ’til late into the night. Our go to games were Halo and Destiny. Whenever there were enemies to fight, Joe would run ahead of everyone and eliminate the foes. A lot of times, he would be in front of us blocking our shots and he would single handed take out all the enemies. That was his way of playing – running ahead and eliminate everybody. Our joke was “Oh! Rock must’ve been here – there is no one here to fight.” Joe was always the one to shield us from danger (in Halo and Destiny) but I could say it carried over into real life. He was someone you could count on whenever you needed help. He was a stellar guy both in and out of the gaming world. He will be missed.