Joe Vercillo 1952 - 2022 ❤️

December 24, 2022. We are heartbroken to share that after a valiant battle, Joe passed away relatively peacefully in bed at home with his three kids around him.

New/final donations will help to cover the end of life costs and transition time for his kids to take space from work while we grieve.

Thank you for being part of our extended family. We love you.

Joe Vercillo has had a particularly challenging health year. He is back in the hospital in August 2022, with pancreas transplant failure, a major heart attack and pneumonia. His family has always handled these things alone together, but we are reaching the ends of our resources, so we are reaching out to our village, our tribe, our support system for some help. We humbly request assistance and appreciate anyone who is able to help us at this trying time.

Joe's Medical Situation

Joe received a kidney transplant more than twenty years ago. Us adult "kids" were teenagers at the time and we are forever grateful to have had these decades to grow up with our dad. A few years later, he received a pancreas transplant - a tough procedure that freed him from insulin-dependent diabetes. However, his medical condition has gotten increasingly complicated and he has now lost the function of that transplant. We are not ready to lose him, yet, and we are doing all we can to help.

This month, he went into the hospital ICU via ambulance after his blood sugar went out of control. While there, they diagnosed pneumonia. Also while there, he had a heart attack, which became the priority. They recommended triple bypass surgery, but he is not strong enough for that at this time. They have put two stents into his heart, which are working well, and are planning two more. More surgery to follow later. The pneumonia is clearing up. They will try to stabilize his blood sugar levels but he will once again be on insulin for the rest of his life, a situation which puts his kidney transplant at risk as well.

Joe's Work

Joe has been a woodworker and urban hardwood sourcer for over forty years. He has built everything for people in Tucson from the planters in what used to be called Park Mall to countless plaques sold through Tuller Trophy to kitchens and furniture for individual homes. In recent years, he has been working mostly at a smaller scale on custom wooden cutting boards, pipes, toys, and wood art. He's also recently built a Little Free Library, among other intriguing projects. He has also invited countless young people into his shop, free of charge, to learn the art of woodworking, passing those skills down to new generations.

He does this in spite of illness. Back in February, he was hospitalized due to lung infection and various other complications. Despite this, he has built new things with wood since that time. However, this current illness is particularly hard on the body. It's going to be a long recovery time, and it's likely to be a long time before he can get back in the shop again.

Joe's Financial Situation

It's always been a bit hand-to-mouth, but the family has managed to handle finances until now. Joe's wife keeps a roof over their heads, and us adult kids help with some of the other bills. However, the effect of the pandemic on all of us, combined with the February illness expenses, has brought us to our limits. It cost us thousands upon thousands in flights earlier this year, unplanned medical expenses, and lost work time to help him survive his battle in February. We have just started to recover financially and are now facing this new struggle.

So, if you care about Joe, have ever learned anything from him or benefitted from his work or life in any way, or are just a good-hearted person, we would be endlessly appreciative of any help that you are able to give at this time. No donation is too small ... in Dad's typical joking matter, he told me to be sure to say that no donation is too large either!

We will use the money for the following things:

If we reach more than our goal, plans for the money include:

The point of contact for now is eldest daughter Kathryn. If you are interested in getting on an email list providing periodic updates about Joe's condition, including other ways to help in the future, send her your email address. If you want to contribute funds but not through this platform, contact her for alternative options. Feel free to reach out to her through GoFundMe. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram. Note that she is not accepting phone calls at this time and that she may not get back to you immediately as she is handling a lot of stressful logistics.

Whether or not you're able to donate, spreading the word also helps! With much love and kindnesss,

Joe and family