Although Joseph Farruggio Jr. was only Bristol Borough’s mayor for 22 days, he cherished his time serving his hometown.
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Farruggio passed away on Friday, March 17 at the age of 89.
He will be remembered by his large family and group of friends for his involvement in numerous local organizations, his work as vice president of Farruggio’s Express, and his time as mayor.
Farruggio told a reporter in 2009 that he always wanted to be mayor of Bristol Borough.
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The Republican in a Democratic town ran for election five times over three decades and lost each time, but he never gave up hope. Bristol Borough Council appointed him at the end of 2009 for the 22-day term before Bob Lebo was sworn in for a full term as mayor.
“What made Joe most proud was the brief time he spent as the mayor of this borough. He ran to be mayor numerous times and he loved Bristol Borough,” current Mayor Ralph DiGuiseppe III said this week. “He loved being mayor so much that his nephew said he was in the hospital constantly reminding the nurses and doctors that he had been the mayor.”
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In 2009, Farruggio told the Bucks County Courier Times, according to newspaper archives, that he wanted to be mayor to give back to his lifelong hometown.
“I wanted to give back,” he said at the time. “Bristol has always been good to the Farruggio family. I’ve always felt that the Farruggio family had to give back to Bristol and that was one way.”
It was reported that Farruggio, who grew up one of 10 kids, had the borough staff make extra copies of all the borough documents he signed for his scrapbook.
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Farruggio, according to his obituary, was a 1952 graduate of the borough’s high school. He attended St. Joseph’s University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Farruggio died at St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township and was surrounded by his family.
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