Dr. Joseph F. Di Troia

DI TROIA, Dr. Joseph Frederick Age 86, of Canton, passed away on March 23, at his home, surrounded by his family and his books. He was born in Winthrop, MA, in 1936, and graduated from Boston Latin School, Harvard College and Boston University School of Medicine. At Harvard, Joseph lived in Adams House and heard daily a 356 Porsche idle at the stop sign beneath his window, igniting a lifelong love of cars. Joseph's drive for mastery was well-matched by his profession as a surgeon. He retired from ENT Specialists, Inc. in 2003, proud of a career spent in the service of others. He pursued his hobbies with the same focus as medicine: studying German and Italian, lifting weights daily, researching the American political system and economy and playing tennis, golf and skiing. The greatest of all these was skiing, which he learned with his wife, Susan, in his mid-twenties and later spent every winter weekend and holiday skiing with his family at Waterville Valley, NH. Even though Joseph and Susan frequently traveled to ski resorts across Europe and the American West, his favorite mountain memories were at the Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton, where he taught his grandchildren to ski. Joseph was introduced to his future wife, Susan Goubeaux, by a medical school classmate, Thomas Bagnoli, who was dating and later married Susan's sister, Ann, cementing Tom and Joseph's decades-spanning friendship. This introduction to Susan was the great good fortune of Joseph's life. He deeply loved her for over fifty years and mourned her death in 2019. Joseph lives on through his daughter, Sarah Di Troia, who possesses excellent car detailing skills; his son-in-law, John Buten, who can carve a perfect turn; his granddaughter, Rosemary Di Troia, who is studying nursing; and his grandson, Oliver Buten, who avidly debates politics and economics. He is survived by his big sister, June Alfano; his niece, Carla C.; and nephew, Paul Alfano. Following Joseph's wishes, there will not be a Memorial Service or Funeral and his ashes will be Buried at home with those of his wife and son, David, who died in 1996. Please honor Joseph's memory by sending gifts in his name to CrisisTextLine.org or by raising a glass of good scotch. Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. -A.E. Housman

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