Joseph Fanciulli

Joseph (Joe) Anthony Fanciulli went to eternal rest on June 8, 2023, at his home in Venice, FL. Born May 7, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Guiseppe and Maria Grazia (née Bonitatibus) Fanciulli. He has gone home to join his parents and wives. Joe was preceded in death by his wives Peggy Ann Shea in 1999 and Patricia Ann Fanciulli in 2022. He is survived by his loving wife, Nancy Ann Fanciulli; children, Brian Fanciulli (Jesse), Mary Dalio (Chris), Kevin Fanciulli (Jackie), and Mark Fanciulli (Jamie); grandchildren, Vincent, Luca, Clara, and Michael Fanciulli.

A 1969 graduate of LaSalle University, Joe became a police officer for the Westport Police Department. Joe and his wife Peggy Ann Shea were married in Bridgeport, CT in 1969. They moved to Lakewood, Colorado in 1970 for Joe to become a founding Agent of the Lakewood Police Department where he spent 20 years serving the community and retired as a Sergeant. In 1971 Joe joined the U.S. Army Reserves where he served until 2007 when he was honorably discharged as a Master Sergeant. Joe and Peggy raised their four children in the Lakewood and Golden communities. Joe was an avid Broncos fan. He spent almost every fall for 40 years supporting the Broncos and attended multiple Super Bowls with his son, Mark.

Joe found his second love and was married to Patricia Bennett in 2000. Joe and Pat moved to Venice, FL in 2003 where they enjoyed time at the beach and Venice Yacht Club. Joe continued solving crimes and helping others through his efforts as Certified Fraud Examiner, expert witness, and through volunteerism with self-funded search organizations; the Florida Blue Knights and Peace River Search and Rescue. Joe was key to the investigation and apprehension of national serial killers Carl Sherman and Sherman McCrary in the 1970s, culminating in co-authoring of Death Roads: The Story of the Donut Shop Murders with Orvel Trainer and later contributed to “Finding Andrea” on Investigation Discovery and “Families who Kill” on Wondery. Joe spent his later years of life on multiple trips to Italy with his family where they researched their family heritage.

Joe met his final love, Nancy Ann Schaefer, in 2019 and married in 2022. Nancy and Joe enjoyed spending their days finding treasures at the beach and with their dog, Huxley. A private funeral will be held for the family at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. Celebrations of life will be held in Venice, FL and in Denver, CO, with dates and times to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, Joe requests you to please consider a donation in his name to Peace River Search and Rescue. Huxley is undergoing training to support Peace River as a cadaver search dog. It was Joe’s wish that Peace River and Huxley carry on his legacy and investigative spirit by making a difference in the community. Donations of $5-500 made through www.flanzertrust.org will be matched 1:1 or you can donate through the link below or the website www.prsar.org/donations.  All donations go directly to Peace River.