Atilio José Paternoster

On Friday, October 29, Atilio José (Joe) Paternoster, loving husband, father of five children, and three grandchildren passed away at the age of 94. Joe was born on May 26, 1927, in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Atilio and Maria (Pozo) Paternoster. He came to the United States of America as a bachelor to study glass architecture in 1948, first spending time with the Brockway Glass Company in Brockway, Pennsylvania, and then finally settling in Lapel, Indiana. He worked and studied there for 2 ½ years. He then returned to his country of origin in 1951 and eventually married his wife, Susana (Fitón) on August 10, 1953. Together they raised five children, two girls, and three boys. In 1956, Joe came back to the United States together with his young family and ended up working 37 years for the Brockway Glass Company in Lapel until he retired in 1993. While studying and living in America, Joe fell head-over-heels in love with his new country: its natural beauty, the boundless opportunities it offered, and most of all the freedoms it allowed - especially the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. One of his proudest moments took place in 1973 when he took the oath and became a naturalized citizen of the United States. A friendly and outgoing individual, he doted on his grandchildren. He enjoyed helping others, freely offering to try and fix things that were broken (though - in all honesty - he was not very good at it!) Apart from his family, his real passion was firearms. Primarily a hobby, he was a world-class expert and collector. His knowledge of firearms was extensive and even at his advanced age, fellow collectors from around the world would consult with him for advice and recommendations. He also had a reputation as an able 'gunsmith,’ both for his and other gun-owners weapons. He was perhaps best acknowledged as a collector. At its peak, his collection ranged anywhere from intricately filigreed 19th-century European handguns to a baseball card-like collection of American military rocket launchers… Joe had a strong belief in God. In spite of the fact that he was born in a foreign country, he was a classic American patriot. He loved God, his family, and his country - in that order. He will be missed by all those who loved him. Joe was preceded in death by his father Atilio, Sr., and his mother Maria. He is survived by his wife Susana and three of his five children: Eduardo, Maria Laura, and Andres along with his three grandchildren: Marcus, Andrea, and Maxwell. An older daughter, Maria Susana, died as a young child and his fourth child, Father Alejandro Paternoster, passed away suddenly only 12 days after Joe’s death. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church on Monday morning November 15 at 10:00 am. An urn viewing along with a family reception will begin at 9:00 am preceding the Mass. The final placement of the urn will take place the following day, November 16, at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery in Indianapolis at 12:30. The funeral ceremony will be conducted jointly with that of his recently deceased son, Father Alejandro. Note: The family requests that all Covid restrictions including masking and social distancing be respected for both the reception line and the funeral Mass. www.loosecares.com.

Atilio José Paternoster

May 26, 1927 - October 29, 2021