Joseph Troianello

Part engineer, part artist, full-time father of four and husband of 60 years, Joseph R. Troianello died Saturday Feb. 27 in the skies above middle America. A man of constant curiosity, his interests knew no bounds. He built his house, worked with stained glass, created jewelry, sang in his church choir, taught school, ran a business and an orchard, volunteered with On Guard and was a past president of the West Valley Kiwanis. Joe was born March 18, 1930 to Italian immigrants in Madison, N. J., where his father and his father’s cousin owned and operated one of the largest rose-growing greenhouses in the United States. After his father died, he left high school to help support his family. When he was old enough he joined the Air Force and was stationed at various bases across the country, including Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake. While there, he met Elinor (Ann) Belch of Ellensburg. They married and moved to Madison, where they began raising the first of four children. While working a variety of jobs, he obtained his high school diploma and took evening classes in order to graduate Newark College of Engineering. In 1966, he started Thermex Heating and Air Conditioning. On weekends, he’d load the family in the station wagon and take long drives, exploring the cities and back roads of the region. Equally at home with a wrench in his hand or in a tuxedo at the New York Metropolitan Opera, his curiosity was as deep as his talents. He studied and obtained an electrical contractor’s license because, for him, it was simpler than hiring an electrician every time his company needed one. He loved to cook and was equally adept at tearing a car engine apart, planting fruit and nut trees or working in lapidary, wood or stained glass. In 1977, he and Ann moved to Yakima, where he taught at J.M. Perry Technical Institute while starting his company in a new location. He was delighted to welcome his son Mark into the business in 1993. Even after finally retiring, he enjoyed going to the shop to discuss projects and drink coffee with the technicians. A calm and quietly generous man, he donated his time and energy to a variety of community programs. Asking for help was not his forte, but giving help was. He died Saturday while asleep on a flight to Austin, Texas to visit his daughter JoAnn. He leaves behind two sons, Craig (Karen) Troianello and Mark (Lori) Troianello, both of Yakima; two daughters, JoAnn (Bob) Baker of Austin, Texas, and a daughter Susan (Duane) Ritchie of Monmouth, Ore.; a son-in-law, Bob Baker of Austin, Texas; five grandsons; two great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Arthur (Bonnie) Belch of Yakima; and sister-in-law Mel Belch of Olympia. His daughter JoAnn Baker died March 6; He was preceded in death by wife Ann two years ago; four sisters, Teresa Maioran, Emily Fariello, Palmina Pellow and Ann Marie Elardi; and a brother, Anthony Troianello. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joseph Troianello, please visit our flower store.