Joseph Vito DeAugusta went to heaven on June 18, 2026, in Prescott, Arizona. Joseph was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and leaves behind his wife Elaine Stern-DeAugusta, his sister-in-law Carole Stern-Childs, brother-in-law Joe Childs, his sister Stella DeAugusta, his nieces Elizabeth, Vivian and nephew Alex Troger. Joe loved recounting stories of his summers spent at Mount Tremper with his family, especially the time spent with his grandfather. Joe proudly served in the U.S. Army, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, and did a tour in Vietnam where he made lifetime friends; many of whom he later assisted in making major positive lifetime decisions.

Joe’s father owned many auto repair shops in New Jersey where Joe learned about the industry. He took that extensive knowledge to the business side when he entered the insurance world where he worked in management for well over 30 years. Several years after moving to Phoenix, Arizona, he met and married his wife, Elaine. Bike riding was one of Joe’s passions. It was not unusual to see him pedaling long distances in town or joining long distance challenge rides from Tucson to Phoenix. He rode from the Grand Canyon to Flagstaff by himself just because it was a good challenge. Another time he rode his bicycle from Pinetop to Greer in freezing rain, which he thought was great fun. Joe was always into power lifting, even as a young teenager. He tried to use his younger sister as a weight by having her stand on his hands. He soon moved on to serious weight training and in later years competed in the Senior Olympics, winning the Gold Medal for weightlifting two years running.

Joe and his wife moved to Prescott after they both retired. Joe could fix anything. He loved woodworking, becoming quite accomplished, building furniture for their house and friends, or just for fun. He built a great bridge over a ravine and a gazebo for their backyard among many other things. These skills came in handy when he volunteered repairing homes for the Coalition for Compassion and Justice. It seems that all he engaged in, he did so with gusto and cheer.

The care Joe received in the year he had to live in the CLC of the Prescott VA was excellent. The staff at the Prescott VA Hospice unit was extremely caring, attentive, and respectful, not only to Joe as their patient, but also to his family. For this, we will always be very grateful.

Services will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Church 150 Fleury Street, July 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Wounded Warriors Project in honor of Joe.