Joseph S. Tucci, 89, of Orlando, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on March 28, 2026.
Born on January 11, 1937, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Joe was a lifelong musician who treated music as both his passion and his profession. He picked up the trombone at age seven, and was already performing professionally by fourteen in clubs and venues throughout the Pittsburgh area. Over the years, he shared the stage with some of the biggest names of his era, including Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Pearl Bailey, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and The Temptations.
Joe earned his teaching degree from California State College in Pennsylvania and began his career with the Pittsburgh Public Schools. In 1967, he moved his family to Miami, where he taught by day and played music by night, living fully in both worlds.
It was in Miami that Joe began his transition into the restaurant business, a path he would continue after settling in Orlando in 1973. He performed regularly at the Top of the World in Disney’s Contemporary Resort while also owning and managing several restaurants. Through every chapter of his life, music remained his first love and true calling.
Joe was a straight shooter. You always knew where he stood. He had a quick wit and a talent for the one-liner that could make anyone laugh. He spoke with his hands, in true Italian fashion, full of expression and energy. He took a real interest in people, asking about your family, your work, your hobbies, and your thoughts, and made you feel heard. He loved a good card game and was known for his bold plays at Spades, often going nil and winning. In his eighties, he took up pickleball with the same competitive spirit, regularly beating players half his age even after two knee replacements. He played as long as his body let him.
Above all, Joe was a faithful, devoted family man. He loved his wife and children deeply and believed nothing mattered more than being together. His children and grandchildren were his greatest pride and joy.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Maryanne; his son, Michael Tucci (Kathryn) of Kansas City, Missouri; his daughter, Lisa Kelley (Richard) of Windermere, Florida; and his grandchildren, Allyson, Michael (Lauren), Alexandra, Morgan, Mary Catherine, Elizabeth (Quinn), and Bridget (Nick).
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Holy Family Catholic Church.