Joseph Scott Garibaldi

Joseph Scott Garibaldi, beloved son, brother, cousin, nephew, grandson, uncle, godfather and friend, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at the age of 29.  Joseph passed away after being struck by a vehicle while walking near his home in Soddy-Daisy, TN.

Joseph, who was known to family and friends as “Joey” or “Joe”, was born July 12, 1993, in Pasadena, CA to parents Ronald and Susan Garibaldi. An excellent and gifted student, Joey attended St. John Lutheran School in Covina, CA, Christ Lutheran School in West Covina, CA, and Royal Oak Middle School in Covina, CA. Joey was active in youth sports, including baseball, track, and basketball, with his favorites being soccer and football. When not playing sports and hanging out with his teammates, Joey spent most of his childhood evenings playing with his many neighborhood friends and his two sisters, Kaytee and Lizi. He enjoyed reading, collecting Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, playing video games, like Zelda and Kingdom Hearts, watching his favorite movie, The Sandlot, and spending time outside scootering, biking, and skateboarding. Joey would frequently adventure down to Walnut Creek with his friends and sisters, where he spent countless summer hours building forts, hiking, and catching crawdads. He was very family oriented and always appreciated regular family get-togethers with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and especially loved family camping trips.

Joey attended Charter Oak High School in Covina, CA, where he played varsity football for their CIF champion team before graduating in 2012 with a Golden State Seal Merit Diploma award. After high school, Joey attended college at the University of Southern California, where he studied Chemistry for four years. While at USC, he became a brother of Zeta Beta Tau’s Alpha Delta chapter. After college, Joey worked for Ray-Bar Engineering in Azusa, CA. He spent his free time continuing to develop a love for the outdoors, pursuing activities such as hiking, mountaineering, gardening, camping, backpacking and snowboarding, and, eventually, Joey decided to move to Tennessee to chase his dream of building his own homestead.

In October of 2020, Joey purchased a home on 2.8 acres in Soddy-Daisy, TN and, shortly after, packed up his pickup truck and drove across the country to pursue his goal of living a simpler life. Joey adapted quickly to his new life in Tennessee and enjoyed raising his chickens, working in his garden, photographing the southern night sky, exploring nearby trails either on foot or on his dirt bike, kayaking in nearby Chickamauga Lake and spending time with his best friend, Cody. Whether he was growing food, building a fence, erecting a greenhouse, or working on finer carpentry projects, such as those he sold in his Etsy shop, Joey enjoyed working with his hands and had become a skilled craftsman. Joey and Cody had just started their own commercial glass company, Tennessee Glass, shortly before Joey’s passing.

Joey was a lifelong learner, who was always acquiring new skills, and could always be counted on for a unique perspective or an intellectual debate. Joey could also always be counted on to lend a hand or offer a listening ear to his friends and family. He was a loving and caring family member and a loyal friend, who doted on the children of his cousins and friends, who he considered his nieces and nephews. He had been very much looking forward to one day having children of his own. Joey’s love and devotion to his family was evident his whole life. He stayed in touch regularly with his family and friends in other parts of the country, and he called his mother, father, sisters, grandmother, and cousins every week to check in and “chit chat”. Just four days before his passing, Joey had stood proudly and joyfully next to his elder sister, Kaytee, as she was married. In what we now know were some of the final days of his life, Joey was a bright and happy soul, who spent the weekend sharing that light with others, making new friends, enjoying the company of his family, and helping out wherever he could. He will always be lovingly remembered as the one who got everybody on the dance floor at the reception. The special time he was able to spend with his family that weekend will forever be cherished. Joey’s close relationship with his family was second only to his relationship with God. Joey had a personal relationship with the Lord and was a Christian who believed strongly in “living a good life, growing your own food, and taking care of your family”.

Joey was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Joseph Garibaldi and Scott Monson, his grandmothers, Inez Tarpley and Elsa Garibaldi, his uncle, Richard Garibaldi, and his aunt, Karen Monson. Joey is survived by his parents, Ronald Garibaldi and Susan Monson, his sisters, Kathleen (Kaytee) Bacharka and Elizabeth (Lizi) Garibaldi, his brother-in-law, Joseph Bacharka III, his grandmother, June Monson, his aunts, Mary Monson Bingham, Sandy Monson, and Tracy Martinez-Whiles, his uncles, Scott Monson, Thomas Monson, and Jimi Bingham, his close friends Cody and Ashley Wohler and their children, including his godson, Daniel Wohler, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, friends and other family members who loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.

 
A memorial service to honor Joey’s life and memory will be held at First Lutheran Church in Torrance, CA on November 6, 2022 at 12:30 pm, followed by a reception and lunch. All who knew Joey are welcome to attend. The service will also be live streamed here for those unable to attend in person.

 
If you would like to send flowers for the funeral, flowers may be sent to: 17516 Faysmith Ave, Torrance, CA 90504. If you would like to make a donation to honor Joey’s memory, the family asks that donations be made to the National Park Foundation to pay tribute to Joey’s love of nature. Donations can be made online here.

A memorial camping trip will be held by Joey’s family at Thousand Trails Campground in Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA from November 3, 2022 through the morning of November 6, 2022 to spend time remembering Joey in his favorite place- the outdoors. All friends and family are welcome to join in the camping trip. Those who wish to join should make a reservation through the Thousand Trails website.

The family would like to thank First Lutheran Church in Torrance, CA and Advanced Funeral Homes and Cremations of Chattanooga, TN for their care and assistance.