Joseph Philip Mortillaro Jr., 79, a longtime resident of New Orleans, and a resident of Slidell since 2005, passed away on Sunday, November 3, 2024, in Slidell.

Joe was born August 27, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Joseph and Rosalie Mortillaro. In 1965, he married Penny Maechling in New Orleans.  In 1966, he entered the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War where he was a combat veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. In 1968, he returned to New Orleans where he began a career as a machinist.  In 2005 the family moved to Slidell.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Santa Quirk.

Joe is survived by his wife of 58 years, Penny M. Mortillaro; two children, Joseph Mortillaro III (Karen), Melissa Hoggatt (Bill); three brothers, Steve Mortillaro, Salvadore Mortillaro, Henry Mortillaro; three grandchildren, Therese Hoggatt, Tyler Hoggatt, and Grayson Hoggatt; nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 400 Westchester Blvd, Slidell, Louisiana, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

Visitation will begin at the church at 10:00am followed by the funeral mass at 11:00am.

A Private Burial with Military Honors will be held at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell at 12:30pm.