Joe Bucko celebrates 99th birthday at 99 Restaurant

Last Tuesday, WWII veteran Joseph Bucko celebrated his 99th birthday with lunch at the 99 Restaurant.

It also happened to be St. Joseph’s Day, a day that his mother was always happy her son Joe could call his birthday, even though they’re not Italian.

On this day, Bucko celebrated with his daughter Jo Ann (Bucko) Frizado; her husband, Richie; close family friend Marysia Mello and her husband, Louis; and Bucko’s brother-in-law, Normand Dupere. On Sunday, a bigger party is planned for Bucko that will include his 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Last year, Bucko’s wife, Penny, who he was married to for 64 years, passed away, but he still lives in the home they shared. Though edging close to 100, Bucko only retired from working at age 95. He worked at his son Michael’s business, Bucko’s Parts and Tackle, repairing fishing rods and reels until, he said, he “got too slow after opening the door to turn the alarm off.” When the alarm starting going off every day, his son gave him the boot, he added.

Before working in his son’s business, Bucko spend his career at the Fall River manufacturing company United States Luggage as a luggage inspector and in his “spare” time he worked at Bucko Brothers Sporting Goods, a business he started with his brother, who has since passed away.

Armed with plenty of one-liners at his birthday luncheon, Bucko said his secret to a long and healthy life is simple, he said. “I borrowed money from my doctor and I’m on an installment plan, so I’m good through 2020.”

Born in Fall River to Polish immigrants, Bucko grew up in the South End of the city right around the corner from the Polish National Home. “My mother said the stork that brought me should have got arrested for smuggling dope,” he said.

Bucko joined the Navy in New Bedford the day after Pearl Harbor. After one week of boot camp training, he was shipped off on a destroyer. He spent most of the war at sea in the Atlantic doing convoy duty, escorting military ships from New York to Southampton, England. “We made eight trips to England and one trip to Africa,” he said.

Since as long as he could read, Bucko said he’s been reading The Herald News and he still reads it every day with a little help from a magnifying glass.

Already making plans for his 100th birthday, Bucko said he’s having an even bigger party for that milestone. In addition to his extensive family, he’ll probably let in some “outsiders” to the 100th birthday party. “When I pay, everybody pays,” he added with his quick sense of humor.

As he celebrated this day, his family had plenty of nice things to say about Bucko.

“You can’t find a better father-in-law,” said his son-in-law Richie Frizado. “What a nice family.”

“He was a great role model and a hard-worker,” added his daughter JoAnn Frizado.

Marysia Mello, who emigrated from Poland by herself when she was eight years old ended up living with the Bucko family. Bucko also sponsored her parents and her two sisters, who were able to immigrate here eight years later. He even went out of his way to get day-old baked goods from a bakery on Robeson Street to help out those who were hungry, she said.

“I was very grateful. He was very loving and made me feel like a part of the family,” said Marysia Mello. “He was good to a lot of people.”

Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.