Video: Joe Mazzone’s Last Ride around the Morristown Green

Fuzzy dice inside Joe Mazzone's beloved '56 Ford Fairlane. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Fuzzy dice inside Joe Mazzone's beloved '56 Ford Fairlane. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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Somewhere, Joe Mazzone must be grinning.

On July 1, the Korean War veteran was escorted to his final rest at Morristown’s Evergreen Cemetery by some of the most gorgeous classic cars you’ll ever see.

Joe’s pride and joy was his ’56 Ford Fairlane.

Fuzzy dice inside Joe Mazzone's beloved '56 Ford Fairlane. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Fuzzy dice inside Joe Mazzone's beloved '56 Ford Fairlane. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“You couldn’t get him out of that car,” reminisced Larry Hogan, another car buff from Morristown.

Joe was 83 when he died, and until quite recently you could see him cruising around the Green at the wheel of his red-and-white Ford or parked over at the Morristown Diner.

“He was there every morning at four in the morning,” Larry said. “He was a character, something else. He loved life.”

Joe lived in Morris Plains towards the end, but most of his life was spent in Morristown. He attended Morristown High and served in the Army during the Korean War in 1950.

Over the years, he worked as an auto body specialist and mechanic at Thomas Volkswagen, Morristown Texaco and Toyota of Morristown. While an avid baseball fan, Joe’s greatest passion was cars, according to his obituary from the Doyle Funeral Home:

He won trophies at car shows for his 1956 Ford Fairlane and the most cherished award he received was from the Lead East Car Show in Parsippany. Joe loved traveling to every car show in Morris County.

We met Joe a couple of years ago, at a charity event around the Green. His Ford was part of the proceedings and he was happy to field questions about his gleaming chariot, as Elvis and Chubby Checker tunes wafted from loudspeakers.

At the funeral, the car looked like it just rolled out of the showroom. Better even, thanks to the fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror and the ’50s rock and roll artwork on the spare cover.

“He was stuck in the ’50s,” Larry said with a laugh.

So we found some period music for the video. Hope you like it, Joe.

Please click icon below for captions.

5 COMMENTS

  1. I didn’t know Joe but he sounds like a great guy. Truly touched by the video of the procession. Jill, Lodi, OH.

  2. Those vintage cars are really fun to look at… though I am pretty sure today’s cars are more fun to drive.

  3. from one car buff to another, I am sure he is looking down at us crusing the green, I grew up in sherman oaks , california and wednesday nite was Cruising Van Nuys Blvd. nit and going to Bobs BIG Boy drive in , where the car hops would bring you your food and hang the trays on your window… for more than 50 years this was the FUN AND COOL THING TO DO… boy do we miss those wonderful days…..
    ..XOXOOXO VALLEY GIRL CHEF MELODY

  4. Joe and his friends are a classic example of typical Morristown buddies. Loyal, decent hard working people and always willing to go out of their way to help out a friend. May he rest in peace.

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