Joseph F. “Joe” Savage

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Joseph F. “Joe” Savage, age 89, of Warwick, passed away on Saturday, June 27, at Elderwood at Riverside in East Providence. He was the beloved husband of Mildred (Dolman) Savage.

Born in East Providence, a son of the late William R. and Mary A. (Carr) Savage, he was a life-long Warwick resident. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, and served as a sergeant with the 1st Marine Battalion. Mr. Savage was employed as a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, and retired as a supervisor in 1986 after 34 years of service. From 1987 to 2007 he worked at Filene’s / Macy’s department stores at the Warwick Mall.

Beside his family, he was most proud of his accomplishments as a star pitcher for St. Rita’s CYO baseball league, and also pitching for the Marine Reserves baseball league. The secret to his success, he always said, was that “I always threw strikes.” He was proud of his service as a Marine in the Korean conflict, which he fondly called “The Forgotten Victory.” He was also proud of his Irish heritage, which today must leave all of Ireland from Galway to Dublin, from Donegal to County Cork, a-wash in tears.

He was born into the depression in 1931, growing up in a world of want. These hardships surely formed his core beliefs and morality, that demanded that all people were indeed equal and gifted with God-given value, and should always be treated that way, without reservation or hesitation. He instilled these values in his children, not with words, as he was a man of few, but rather by deeds and demonstration. And although those words were few, they could laser their way right to the heart of what afflicted you, salving and soothing the pain of your wounds. He always accepted you as you were, encouraged you to be the best you could be, always guiding you toward your better angels. Always throwing strikes!

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, William R. Savage (wife Jo-Ann) of Warwick; a daughter, Sandra J. Glode (husband Raymond) of Cumberland; a brother, William R. Savage (wife Elaine) of Warwick; four grandchildren: Tracy L. Savage, Lindsey E. Guglietta, Tyler R. Glode, and Ryan J. Glode; two great-grandchildren, Brian L. Savage and Tayla E. Savage; and many nieces and nephews. He was the father of the late Joseph W. Savage, and the brother of the late Dorothy Bonney, Esther Hood, Charles Anderson, and Judith George, and the grandfather of the late Ashley T. Savage.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, July 2 at 11 a.m. in St. Timothy Church, 1799 Warwick Avenue, Warwick. Visiting hours will be on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Barrett & Cotter Funeral Home, 1328 Warwick Avenue, Spring Green, Warwick. Facial masks and social distancing will be required. A private burial, with military honors, will be in the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Continuum Care of RI, 1350 Division Road, Suite 205, West Warwick, RI 02893. www.barrettandcotter.com