Joseph A. Siciliano, age 80, of Chicago passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at his home. A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026 4 - 7 pm. Service at 6 pm at Midtown Funeral Home and Cremation 3918 W. Irving Park Rd, Chicago. Joe was born on March 22, 1945 in Chicago, the son of Vito and Madeline (Mostrato) Siciliano. He attended Brentano Elementary School and Schurz High School where he graduated in 1963. Joe served in the United States Air Force and worked as a firefighter until he was honorably discharged in 1967 as an Airman Second Class. This is where he met his lifelong friend Sal Gambino, Joe met his wife, Karen (Klein) on a blind date when he was home on leave. They went to play pool and for sliders at White Castle. They married on November 23, 1968 and celebrated 57 years of marriage. They raised two children, Nikki and Marc. Joe spent many nights at Nikki's dance recitals and spent summers at Hamlin Park where he coached several of Marc's baseball teams. Family trips to Lake Geneva were highlights each summer. He was proud to walk Nikki down the aisle when she married Bill Loomos in 2002 and enjoyed traveling to Italy to witness Marc marry Shannen Coleman in 2011. Joe's greatest joy was his grandchildren, Chase, Cate, Korina, and Sienna. He loved being Papa and watching cartoons, listening to their stories, and treating them to McDonald's for breakfast after a sleepover. Joe held a real estate license, but spent a majority of his career in sales - jewelry at Ball Company, appliances at Montgomery Wards, and even a stint at a car dealership. However, being a shoe salesman was his passion. Joe started at Amy Robins, but spent 12 years at Kotz Finer Shoes where he met his dear friend, Mark Kotz. He worked at Alamo Shoes at the time of his retirement. Joe's family still sought advice on a proper fit every time a new pair was purchased and the grandkids looked forward to receiving socks from Papa each Christmas. He loved listening to Connie Francis and the Righteous Brothers, eating great burgers, and trying his luck on lottery tickets. He continued purchasing scratch off tickets up until the end. Joe will be dearly missed by his wife, Karen; his daughter Nikki (Bill) Loomos and son, Marc (Shannen); his four grandchildren Chase and Cate Loomos and Korina and Sienna Siciliano; his sisters-in-law, Susan Siciliano and Kelly Siciliano; two nieces, Kerry (Jim) Cwick and Cristine (Ezio) Realmuto; and many loving cousins. Joe is preceded in death by his father, Vito; his mother, Madeline; his sister, Madelyn "Cookie" Groskopf; his brothers Michael and Steven; his in-laws, Frank and Josephine Klein; and his family pets, Shane, Charmie and Charlie. Joe was diagnosed with diabetes in 1975. For 50 years, he monitored his sugar and counted carbs. Donations to the American Diabetes Association https://diabetes.org can be made in his memory.

American Diabetes Association
2451 Crystal Dr. Ste. 900, Arlington VA 22202
Tel: 1-800-342-2383
Web: http://diabetes.org