“Uncle” Willy Novelli
We are saddened to hear of another loss this week, our friend and uncle to Joe Mantegna, Uncle Willy.
“Uncle” Willie Novelli passed away peacefully on January the 7th at the age of 91, surrounded by family. The outpouring of condolences has been a testament to his ability to make friends everywhere he went. Uncle Willie was a sergeant in the US Army under George S. Patton in WWII. He received a Purple Heart for an injury he sustained during the battle of the bulge as well as five battle stars. He was very proud to be a veteran of the Army and of WWII. The last few years of his life he was involved in the campaign to build a US Army Museum near Washington DC.
The picture above was taken from one of the many times Uncle Willy rode in the National Memorial Day Parade as Honorary Marshal with his nephew, Joe Mantegna. Joe and Willy have been tireless supporters of the American Veterans Center and National Memorial Day Parade.
