Joe Troilo celebrates 90th birthday

By: Contributed report | Culpeper Star-Exponent
Published: August 15, 2010

Joe Troilo celebrated his 90th birthday with family and friends at the Brandy Station Fire Hall Aug. 7. The cocktail party and dinner were generously given and catered by Luigi Castiglia (Luigi’s), his wife Mary, and their children Giovanni and Onofrio.

Friends were welcomed by Joe’s children and their spouses: Kathy and Rusty Mawn of Cumming, Ga., Pat and Bill Gravely of Culpeper, Pat and Tony Troilo of Brandy Station and Frankie and Alan Gilmore of Culpeper, 13 grandchildren and their spouses and 18 great grandchildren.

Filippo Ogle entertained the group singing popular Italian songs, and Joe topped the evening by playing his harmonica.

Joe was born in the Old Country, as he called Italy, in 1920. At the age of four, he and his family moved from Italy to the United States after his father served in the U.S. Army during World War I.

After graduating from high school in Vandergrift, Pa., Joe moved to Brandy Station through Roosevelt’s Civil Conservation Corp.

In 1940, he met and married Ruth Mae Rosson. They were happily married for 68 years, until her death two years ago. “Bootsie’s” father opened Rosson’s Ice House and Service Station in 1928.

After being discharged from the Army at the end of WWII, Joe joined his brother-in-law, Frank Rosson, to form Rosson-Troilo Motor Co.

Joe has been active in the Brandy Station and Culpeper communities. He is a charter member of the Brandy Station Volunteer Fire Deptartment, serving as past chief, captain, and president; one of the oldest members of Precious Blood Catholic Church; charter member of the Knights of Columbus; sponsor of the former Brandy Bears softball team; former director of New Bank of Culpeper, and officer and member of many civic organizations.

Joe was instrumental in starting the Drum and Bugle Corps at Brandy Elementary School in the 1950s. In 1964, he became the first Virginian to align race cars at the Indy 500. He was one of the first “Culpeper Colonels” to be honored by the Board of Supervisors in 1973.

His poor vision may have slowed him a bit, but not by much! He loves his family, friends, and church.