Joseph Henry Alves

Joseph H. Alves, 92, of Narragansett, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 2nd at Kent County Hospital after battling a long illness. The middle of 9 children, Joseph was born on May 18th, 1931 to his parents, the late Charles and Edna (Collins) Alves. He was a devoted husband to the love of his life, the late Madeline F. (Izzo) Alves for 60 years.

Joseph was an accomplished man from an early age, where he became an army combat medic and served in the Korean war. Before joining the military, Joe worked at Bantum Books, for his boss (and future mother in law) Lucy Izzo. While working at Bantum Books he happened to run in to none other than Lucy and her daughter Madeline at a restaurant in Chicago. This is where Joe and Madeline’s love story began.

After the army, Joe and Madeline settled in Oak Park, IL, a suburb of Chicago, where they raised 3 children and he worked as a lithographer for a number of years before returning to Rhode Island in 1978. Once back in Narragansett, RI Joe and his wife both worked at URI where Joe was the supervisor of the residence hall directors. He also had a hot dog stand by Narragansett beach called “Joe’s Hot Dogs” where he fed hungry beachgoers for 20 years.

Joseph is survived by his son, Joseph E. Alves; grandchildren, Jeffrey William, Julie Ann and Jennifer Ann Alves; siblings, William Alves and Edna Tippel; and cousins, Toni and Susie “the tugboats”, as he always referred to them, as they stood up for him at his wedding to Madeline, his “Queen Mary”. He is predeceased by his sons, James Patrick and Jeffery Charles Alves.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, May 11th from 6-8 pm in Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield, 02879.

Funeral Monday, May 13, 2024 from Avery-Storti Funeral Home at 10:00 am followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 11 am in St. Mary Star of the Sea, 864 Point Judith Road, Narragansett, 02882. Burial with military honors will take place immediately following in RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 301 S. County Trail, Exeter, 02822. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Joseph Alves GoFundMe at the following link: https://gofund.me/d1c74b73