Joseph Mottillo

RIVERVIEW – Dr. Joseph “Joe” Louis Mottillo, 91, of Riverview, MI, died peacefully in hospice care at Corewell Health Trenton Hospital, Trenton, MI, on June 6, 2025.

Joseph was born on January 3, 1934 to Dominick and Maria (DiLorenzo) Mottillo. He was raised in Meadville, PA, the youngest of eight children in a close-knit, loving family, which he remembered fondly and often. His warm relationships with his first-generation mother, immigrant father and immigrant grandparents made him deeply proud of his Italian heritage.

From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army Military Police. Thanks to the GI Bill, Joe was able to continue his education, earning a B.S. degree in Education (1959) from State Teachers College in Edinboro, PA, an M.S. degree in Physics, and ultimately a Doctorate in Education (1973) from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

Early in life, Joe worked as lifeguard, railroad worker, and a lineman. He was also an amateur boxer and played drums in a band for spending money during college. Joe was always passionate about teaching and remembered those years as among the richest of his life. He taught physics and other subjects at several secondary schools in Wyandotte and Dearborn, MI, and later taught physics at Henry Ford [Community] College and the University of Michigan, both in Dearborn, MI. On his first teaching assignment, he met "the most beautiful girl [he] had ever seen," Alice Jodocy. They were married on November 24, 1960, and enjoyed sixty years of marriage until she passed in 2021. Joe and Alice spent many summers entertaining friends and family at their house on Mackinac Island. For over sixty years, they made their home in Riverview, MI.

Joe is preceded in death by his wife, Alice [Jodocy] Mottillo, his parents Dominick and Marie Mottillo,and siblings Christine [Mottillo] Valcheff, Anthony Mottillo, Marie [Mottillo] Weir, Angeline [Mottillo]Limber, John Mottillo, Margaret [Mottillo] Schwartz, and Gertrude [Mottillo] Rhedmon. He was a beloved uncle to numerous children of siblings and in-laws, and grand-uncle to their children. During his final years, Joe’s wonderful caregivers–Jenny, Karen, and Bill–also became like family to him.

Joe was a devout Catholic all his life. For many years, he helped his wife deliver Holy Communion to people in hospitals, senior living centers, and nursing homes. Joe was extraordinarily generous and supported numerous charities over the course of his lifetime, including volunteer work with the Society of St. Vincent De Paul and similar organizations.

Always up on current affairs, Joe loved to discuss politics and world events. One could not have a conversation with him without being inspired by his insights.

A wake will be held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM, at The Trenton Chapel of the Martenson Family of Funeral Homes, 3200 West Rd. A rosary will begin at 6:30 pm.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trenton, MI, on Friday, June 13, 2025, at 10:00 AM. He will be interred next to his wife in Holy Cross Cemetery, Marquette, MI, on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 2:00 PM. Joe and Alice both loved children, and their favorite charity was St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Accordingly, the family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Joe’s memory.