Joseph Sobalo

On January 8, 2026, at the age of 73, Joseph Sobalo passed away peacefully at Lowell General Hospital, surrounded by his closest family and an overwhelming amount of love. He is survived by his devoted wife, Linda; his daughter, Nicole; his son, Joseph; his daughter-in-law, Jessica Mellott; his precious granddaughters, Gianna Torres and Autumn Kalar; and his beloved great-grandchildren, Gio and Avanya. Being a husband, father, grandfather (Nonno), and great-grandfather were the greatest joys of Joe’s life. Joseph was the most loyal father a family could ever ask for.

Joseph Sobalo was born on March 21, 1952, in East Boston—back when the neighborhood was made up mostly of Italian, Irish, and Jewish families. The streets were rough, filled with loud personalities and no shortage of gangsters and thugs. You had to be strong and street-smart to survive there—and my dad was.

Growing up, life wasn’t easy for him. Joe was as real as they come. He never let his struggles stop him from being an incredibly helpful, loyal man who worked hard his entire life. Joseph was Mr. Fix-It—a handyman, carpenter, painter, and mechanic. At some point, he fixed everyone’s cars, walls, floors, and just about anything else that needed fixing. He would regularly stop to help strangers broken down on the side of the road and would give the shirt off his back if he could.

Joe loved a good laugh and gave us plenty of them. His stories from East Boston and beyond sounded unbelievable—but every one of them was true. Things really were different in the old days. He also made the best pasta sauce anyone ever tasted, and the family proudly still guards the secret recipe. 😋

East Boston shaped him, Linda’s patience graced him, and his unwavering loyalty to his family defined him.

Rest easy now, Joseph, reunited in heaven with Uncle Bobby, Aunty Linda, Nonna Angie, and Grandpa Joe. You are deeply loved, deeply missed, and will never be forgotten. ❤️