Joseph Salvatore Coppolino III, age 87, of McKinney, Texas passed away on June 20, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on March 11, 1937, to Mildred Pellettiere and Joseph Salvatore Coppolino in Brooklyn, New York. Joseph was raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, amongst his large, extended family, where he spoke Italian with his Grandmother and embraced countless Italian traditions that he would later bestow upon his children.
Joseph attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Elementary School and St. Francis Preparatory School, where he excelled in many sports. He was a long-distance runner on the track team, member of the swim team, and, most significantly, a safety for the football team. His love for the game would later serve to bring passion and joy to his wife and children through countless seasons of Sunday football and even served to be the theme of the Christmas décor he personally painted and built for his family’s home on Christmas Card Lane.
Joseph attended Manhattan College and studied computer programming at NYU. Of great personal significance, Joseph proudly served in the United States Marine Corps after losing his father in WWII.
On November 16, 1974, Joseph married Jacqueline Marie Zrinsky in Brooklyn, New York. They spent fifty years by one another’s side, bearing three children, living on both the East & West Coast before settling in Texas, and rescued many dogs along the way.
Joseph had a creative mind and varied interests. In his younger years, he was a competitive shooter, earning countless awards. An avid photographer, he loved capturing nature and wildlife almost as much as memorializing all the special moments in his family’s lives. In his retirement, he enjoyed building model airplanes and ships, and crafting leather goods for family and friends.
Joseph is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Jacqueline Coppolino of McKinney, Texas; his three children, Joseph Coppolino of San Diego, California, Jennifer Coppolino of Los Angeles, California, Jason Coppolino of McKinney, Texas; his two dogs, Bella and Sophia; and his brother, Peter Coppolino of Leesburg, Virginia.
Joseph was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred and Joseph Coppolino.
Family and friends are invited to a Visitation on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 8520 E. Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75033, at 9:30 AM with a Funeral Service to follow beginning at 10:30 AM. A Graveside Service and rendering of military honors will be held at 1:00 PM at DFW National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211.