Joseph Peter Monastero was born on September 6, 1949, to Joseph and Sophia Monastero in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was one of five siblings and was a first-generation Italian American. He grew up in a Philadelphia Italian neighborhood in the blue-collar community of Norristown. As he was leaving high school, Vietnam was in full swing. Rather than wait for the draft, Joseph enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Vietnam to serve honorably as a combat medic on the helicopter rescue division. While there, he discovered his talent in medicine and his life's calling while saving the lives of his service members.

Joseph returned to Pennsylvania after Vietnam and studied at Temple University through the GI plan, where he received a bachelor's degree in Chemistry. Following graduation, he attended Hahnemann University Medical School and graduated in 1980 with his medical degree. After medical school, Joseph completed his emergency medicine residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. After completing his residency, he returned to Service in the United States Military as a United States Air Force flight surgeon.

In the early 1980s, Joseph moved to Florida and started his young family and his lifetime ER career in emergency medicine. He has served numerous hospitals in the state, touching the lives of countless people that would not have been alive today if not for his skill. He worked for a time through the VA System itself to help veterans like himself. Then, he moved to Texas in 2012 to serve as Director of Emergency Medicine at VA Hospital, Temple Texas, to finish out his federal and private sector career at the highest level of the VA system.

Since 2016 he became semi-retired but has still worked as a physician and telemedicine specialist while enjoying his favorite hobbies. Joseph started piano at 70 years of age and had already advanced to intermediate student status. Yet, there was nothing he tried that he could not accomplish. Joseph was a skilled private pilot with thousands of hours of airtime, and he enjoyed heading out to the airfield and flying whenever he got the chance. He often quoted Da Vinci: "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Joseph is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Joseph C. Monastero and Penny Monastero, daughter and son-in-law, Sheryl Monastero-Cockroft and Dane Cockroft, grandson Grant Monastero, granddaughter Zoey Monastero, his brother Michael Monastero and his sister Maria Schafer, his life partner Ginger Hinman, and his faithful dog Polara.

Vietnam veteran, father of two lovely children and two beautiful grandchildren, life partner, and best friend to Ginger. 40-year emergency medicine specialist, pilot, pianist, master chess player, a good friend, and fellow pilot to many other aviators. Joseph was a one-of-a-kind man who will be in our hearts forever.

Mass Service will be held at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, on Friday, August 13, 2021, at 12 noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to K9sforwarriors.org