Obituary of Joseph M. Botti

Melbourne – Joseph Michael Botti, 71, passed away on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, at Holmes Regional Medical center after a short stay in the ICU due to complications from a heart attack suffered in 2015. A lifetime car enthusiast, mechanic, and successful small business owner, Joe worked in his youth as a precision grinding machinist in NY where he met his wife Janeen. When they moved to Florida in the 1970’s, he was already working exclusively in his chosen career as an auto mechanic, and eventually owned his own gas and service stations in the Melbourne and Palm Bay area. He opened Joe’s Auto Service in the late 1990’s, which he operated until his retirement. An avid amateur racer for many years, crew member for professional 24Hr of Daytona race teams in the 1980’s, and crew chief for his “adopted nephew’s” road-race team, Joe always had a solution to keep cars on the track, even when the odds were stacked against them. In later years when it was no longer possible for him to physically drive a race car on track or work on the cars trackside, Joe continued to stay close to the automotive hobby as part of the Mopars of Brevard car club, in which he owned a classic Plymouth Satellite Sebring. Joe’s other lifetime hobby of model train collecting was clearly evident in many of the displays he would put together and events he would attend. After the loss of his wife Janeen in 2005, he continued to expand his collection and derived joy from showing the trains to friends, even just weeks before his passing. Joe was a close friend to most anyone who knew him, and his friends and extended family will miss his smile, knowledge, and no-nonsense view of the world as he saw it. His last day with us was filled from morning until late evening with visits from family and friends, along with three full meals and peaches for dessert. As a final act to help others, Joe was able to donate tissue after his passing to help those facing surgeries or conditions that could benefit from such donations. He wished to be cremated and reunited with his late wife, and a remembrance Services will be held at Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care, 950 Malabar Road, SE Palm Bay at 10:30am on July 27th. A luncheon will be held immediately following for all who would like to attend at the home of his adopted family of Marcello and Lynn Canitano. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, the South Brevard Humane Society, or any other local charitable organization in need that could benefit.