Submitted by: Dan Rich

Joseph M. Bortone Sr.

Aug. 7, 1910 - Oct. 2, 2000

South Bend Tribune 10/4/2000

Joseph M. Bortone Sr., 90, of Miller's Merry Manor, Wakarusa, Ind., formerly of East 5th Street, Mishawaka, Ind., passed away after an illness at 9:50 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, in Miller's Merry Manor. Mr. Bortone was born on Aug. 7, 1910, in Chicago, Ill. He spent most of his childhood at the St. Vincent Villa Orphanage in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the St. Joseph's Orphanage in Lafayette, Ind. In 1924 he moved to South Bend, Ind., where he lived with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Goetz. At the age of 19 he became a Golden Glove Champion in the fly-weight class. Mr. Bortone fought under the name of Joe Goetz.

On Dec. 4, 1931, in Goshen, Ind., he married the former Florence A. Sutter, who preceded him in death on Jan. 15, 1996. He is survived by a daughter, Charlene (Alfons) Van Overberghe of South Bend; two sons, Joseph (Mary Ann) Bortone Jr. of Mishawaka and Richard (Barbara) Bortone of South Bend; eight grandchildren, Doug of South Carolina, Greg (Michelle) and Bruce, both of Mishawaka, Kim (Roy) Dalton of South Bend, Michael (Karen) Van Overberghe of Highland, Mich., Richard Jr. (Jill), Adrienna Bortone and Millie Bortone, both of South Bend; and by nine great-grandchildren, Christopher, Michael, Gretel and Chase Bortone, Amelia, Valerie and Olivia Dalton, Noah Bortone and Alexandria Van Overberghe.

Mr. Bortone retired in 1972 from the Dodge Reliance Company after 30 years of service. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mishawaka, was a lifetime member of Council 1878 of Mishawaka Knights of Columbus and the Father Nieuwland Assembly of the Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus.

Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, in the Hahn Funeral Home, 505 W. 8th Street, Mishawaka. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, with Rev. Robert Yast officiating. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Osceola, Ind. Contributions in memory of Mr. Bortone may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Northern Indiana Chapter, 425 N. Michigan Street, Suite #308, South Bend, IN 46601-1236.