Joseph V. Elisii, 90

Joseph Vincent Elisii passed away on Sept. 28, 2022, after a brief battle with an aggressive form of bladder cancer. He was 90 years old.

A lifelong Hull resident, he was born in 1932 at the corner of H Street and Nantasket Avenue and then moved in 1965 to reside in the home he built, raised his family in, and lived the last 57 years at the top of Strawberry Hill.

Mr. Elisii was self-employed and worked every day alongside and under the direction of his Dad, landscaping and doing odd jobs around the town during his teenage years. Mr. Elisii graduated from Hingham High School in 1949 and went on to study business administration at Boston University, graduating with a BS degree in 1953. He was drafted into the U.S. Army the following year and served as an office clerk stationed in Fort Lee, Virginia, during the Vietnam War until his honorable discharge in 1962.

From there, the legendary Elisii Contracting Company began. Mr. Elisii and his father worked tirelessly around town on various general contracting jobs, digging ditches, laying foundations, building homes, paving driveways and plowing snow every winter. He gained a strong work ethic from his parents, Giuseppe and Aida, emigrants from Abruzzi, Italy, like nothing seen today. Mr. Elisii had the attitude of determination and dedication to succeed by owning his own business and building a beautiful home for his family.

He married Maryann DiLoreto in 1963 and welcomed two daughters, Marietta and Marguerite shortly after. Mr. Elisii continued to work hard and support his family for many years until retiring in his early 70s to care for his ailing parents. He then dedicated the rest of his life to assisting the elderly by delivering medical equipment, offering rides to medical appointments while serving the Hull Lions Club with many of its fundraising efforts.

Mr. Elisii received The Hull Hero award in 2014 for his service and dedication to the Town of Hull and its residents. In 2018, he was recognized for collecting more than $100,000 in revenues donated to the Hull Lions Club by manually collecting refundable cans. He received a bench in Hull Village bearing his name, and a Hull High School scholarship was established in his honor. Also, June 14, 2018 was designated “Joseph Elisii Day” in Hull.

Mr. Elisii was acclaimed as one of the “Boston Game Changers,” not by winning at things, but by winning at life and making life better for all that knew him. He loved joining his group of friends at Weinberg’s Bakery every morning for coffee to discuss the world events and solve the world’s problems. He was a frequent contributor to The Hull Times and wrote many letters to the editor to discuss the goings-on of Hull businesses and politics. He spent the rest of his life working on his home and took extraordinary pride in the immaculate landscaping surrounding it.

Mr. Elisii was predeceased by his sister, Marie Jarvis of Hull, and is survived by his daughters, Marietta Troup of Middletown, MD, and Marguerite Elisii-Johnson of Hull, and his four grandchildren, Corbin Troup of PA, Ayla Troup of MD, Alex Troup of MD, and Joseph Elisii-Johnson of Hull, and his great-grandson, Kellan Troup of PA.  Mr. Elisii also remained close to and adored his three nephews, Mark Jarvis of Quincy, Bobby Jarvis of Hull, and Billy Jarvis of Marshfield. He was simply a man who can never be compared to any other. 

A wake and funeral service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home,  21 Emerald St., Hingham. A Celebration of Life will follow at The Parrot, 1 Hull Shore Drive.

Please send memorial donations in his name to the Hull Lions Club, PO Box 395, Hull, MA 02045.