Joe Paglia, Repaired Shoes In His Renton Shop For 40 Years

An old-fashioned man with traditional values, Joe Paglia always put his family first.

Owner and operator of Joe Paglia Shoe Repair in Renton for 40 years, Mr. Paglia died Wednesday at the Mercer Island Care Center. He was 79.

Born in Black Diamond, Mr. Paglia went to Italy with his parents when he was 10. While there, he gained an interest in cabinetmaking and wood work.

He returned to Renton with his parents when he was 14. A sturdy young man, he was a lineman on the Renton High School football team. Mr. Paglia graduated from the school in 1931.

This area, like the rest of the United States, was then caught in the jaws of the Depression. There was little opportunity for an aspiring cabinetmaker. In need of a skill, Mr. Paglia learned shoe repair from a local cobbler, Dominic Alexander.

Mr. Paglia moved on and took a job repairing shoes at Frederick and Nelson in downtown Seattle in the early 1930s.

Upset that Frederick & Nelson would not give him a raise, Mr. Paglia quit and opened his own shoe repair business in Renton in 1936, said his daughter, Rose Paglia.

Mr. Paglia worked six days a week in his shop in downtown Renton and, on Sunday, cleaned it up after church for the new business week, said Mary Clare, another daughter.

Mr. Paglia gathered the family for Sunday dinner and, when her mother was sick, would often take on the family chores, Rose Paglia said.

Mr. Paglia, an avid gardner, spent many hours tending his vegetables. He also used to make his own wine, Rose Paglia said.

A man with an old-fashioned flare, he always wore a hat and would tip it to the ladies he passed on his daily stroll.

Charles Delaurenti, a longtime friend who later became mayor of Renton, said Mr. Paglia was a good neighbor. ``He was always willing to help if you needed a hand.''

Mr. Paglia's wife passed away in 1987. In addition to his daughters, he is survived by his sisters, Josephine Grassi of Renton and Emma Barrett of Seattle, and two grandchildren.

A rosary will be recited today at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Renton; a Mass will also be said at the church Wednesday at 10 a.m.