The Joe Petrone Memorial Fund


Please help a deceased Iraq war veteran's family!

On the morning of Easter Sunday, my sister, Keelin Daly Petrone, was preparing to leave for our family gathering when her husband, Joe Petrone, told her that he didn’t feel well enough to attend. They each said “I love you” and Keelin left for the celebration. These were their last words. Later that day, Joe took his own life.

When a soldier is killed during wartime or after returning home from an injury incurred during battle, the nation honors—and the family grieves—a hero’s sacrifice. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and a resulting suicide, is no different; there is a direct causal link between the two, stemming from the horrors of combat. PTSD is a lethal condition that takes the lives of thirty veterans every day. Joe was one of them.     

Joe was a US Army Airborne Ranger, who served with meritorious distinction for 24 years.  He was a veteran of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.  Joe suffered the remainder of his life with PTSD, and he became an unfortunate casualty of this terrible affliction.  He was a hero to his family, his friends, and his country.

Joe and Keelin's son Anthony, age 22, has a severe traumatic brain injury caused by a series of cardiac arrests he suffered in high school. Anthony requires constant supervision due to his critical medical condition, and Joe had been his caregiver.  

Keelin will soon return to work and must now pay for Anthony's care with only a fraction of the household income that supported her family before Joe's passing.  This tragic event has upended her life and placed her in financial jeopardy with the costs of Anthony’s care soon occurring. She and Anthony need your financial support. 

All donations to this fund will go directly to Keelin to pay for her immediate needs and for Anthony's ongoing medical attention.  We so appreciate the love and prayers Keelin's family has received, and we thank you for any donation you can make.

Joe was survived and loved by Keelin, and his children, Michael, Christina, and Anthony. His smile, sense of humor, and booming laugh were contagious and indelible. He will be missed by all of us. 

Please honor Joe by supporting his family. Because he made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.