Obituary of Joseph Tavolacci

Tavolacci, Joseph M., “Joe”, “Joey”, “Papalacci”, “The Big Ragu” 89, died Sunday, February 8th, 2026, at Maplewood Senior Living in Norwalk, CT.

Joe was born on July 27, 1936, in New York City to the late Dominic and Louise Tavolacci.    Joe was a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army and attended Officer’s Candidate School in Fort Benning, GA. 

Joe was a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont.  While there, he was an accomplished Golden Gloves Boxer.  He then attended medical school at the University of Pavia in Pavia, Italy.  For his entire professional life, he was a builder and developer of both commercial and residential properties.  He took his family on an adventure to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the late ‘70s, where he built an Intercontinental Hotel and put an extension on the King’s Palace.  Joe was the owner of TAV Building, building many luxury homes in Westchester County, NY for many years until he retired in 2002.

Joe is the beloved husband of Mary Jane Brown (nee Clark) and the widower of his first wife and love Silvana.  He is the loving father of Andrew (Kathryn) of Boxborough, MA, and Paul of Redding, CT.  He is the devoted grandfather of Olivia, Amelia, Nicholas, and Leonor.  Joe is the brother of Peter (Roberta), Frank (Lyn), and Paul (Barbara), and is survived by many nephews and nieces.

Friends may call at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Rd., Katonah, NY on Friday, February 13th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church, 7 Pound Ridge Road, Bedford, NY on Saturday, February 14th at 10:00 AM. 

Interment will follow at South Salem Cemetery, Spring Street, South Salem, NY 10590.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, or to the American Heart Association.