Joseph Guarnaccia, 73, a resident of Burr Ridge and the owner of Heritage Millwork and Building Supplies Inc. there, died Saturday, June 17, in Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Mr. Guarnaccia was born in Chicago and raised in DuPage County. He started the building supplies company 35 years ago. Mr. Guarnaccia developed a reputation for quickly solving problems, whether posed by a high-rise development in Chicago’s Loop or the rehabbing of a single-family home. “He started working for Edward Hines Lumber Co. and could read a blueprint and figure out what manufacturer had the product needed to get the job done,” said his wife, Doris. Mr. Guarnaccia was a master sergeant in the Army during World War II and was stationed in the Philippines. “He was just a jolly man, with a lot of jokes,” his wife said. “He could lift your spirits and could be very soothing.” Mr. Guarnaccia’s many interests included baseball and music. As a young man, he played the drums professionally. “He was a jazz drummer but gave it up, no money in it back then,” his wife said. Other survivors include a daughter, Gina; two brothers, John and Anthony; and two sisters, Mary Randall and Antoinette Kotlin. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Toon Funeral Home, 109 N. Cass Ave., Westmont. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Mary of Gostyn Catholic Church, 4809 Douglas Rd., Downers Grove.
