Joseph Heston

Joseph R. Heston of Naugatuck passed away on November 19th, 2021 at St. Mary’s hospital in Waterbury. Joe was born on January 12th, 1936 and grew up in Pittston, Pennsylvania. He moved to Naugatuck and resided in the same home since 1967. Joe graduated Number one in his class from the Police academy in 1968 and was a Sergeant with the Naugatuck Police Department until 1979, when he left to join the Connecticut State Police as a Welfare Fraud Investigator. Joe retired from Public service in 1992. In retirement, Joe loved flying his airplane, (many times to Massachusetts for lunch with his wife Judy), hunting Moose in Newfoundland (bringing home hundreds of pounds of Moose meat and making the best beef stew), playing golf, reading, traveling and spending time with his many friends including his beloved Yorkie, JJ. If you were a friend of Joe’s, you knew that he was the type of person that you could always count on in a time of need. He would always be there for you, with a little sarcastic wit thrown in. He was the epitome of the saying, “His Bark is Bigger than his Bite”. He will be Greatly Missed!

Joe was a member and Past Master of The Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Connecticut; Kaabans club, the Order of Quetzalcoatl as well as the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. He was a member of Elks Lodge 967, a Shriner and a Jester, where he loved riding his purple Harley Davidson in the Shriner parades. Joe was pre-deceased by his first wife, Suzanne (Merriman); Brothers Ron, Don, Frank and George; sister Jean (Douty); Daughter-in-Law Lori (DeAngelis), and Step Son Ronald Murtha.

Joe leaves behind his wife Judy (Murtha) of Naugatuck; Sons Joseph, of Littleton CO., David, of Wolcott CT., Eric, of Simpsonville KY. and Michael, of Columbus NC, as well as their wives, Mya, Doreen, Kim and Jennifer. Joe also leaves three Sisters : Dolores, Shirley and Sue, plus seven grandchildren – Nicole, Suzanne, Kelsey, Evan, Brianna, Jordan, Erin and a Step-Grandson Matthew, as well as three Great Grand Children, Isabella, Alex and Coleman along with many Nieces, Nephews and Friends.
Friends and family may call on Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 10:00am-2:00pm at Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck, CT 06770. Burial will be private.