Joe Sylvester Tagliente

Joe Sylvester Tagliente (Joe Joe) 79 of Ashford, Boone County passed away peacefully on October 12, 2021.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn Pauley Tagliente; parents Joe Tagliente and Carneda Barker Tagliente; Grandparents Mickie Barker and Carrie Lee Edleman Barker and Sylvester and Mary Tagliente,.

He is survived by a daughter, Karla Stump, Son in law Brian Stump of Weston, son, Anthony (Tony) Joe Tagliente, daughter in law Brittney Tagliente of Ashford, The Love of His Life, 3 Grandchildren, Hunter Dingess, Luke Tagliente and Molly Tagliente, First cousins Dwight Epling of Costa, Carolyn Payne of Kanawha City and Gene “Sterno” Payne of Kanawha City.

Joe graduated from Sherman High School in 1959. He was President of his class, president of the National Honor Society, Junior Class Mr. Sherman and a Varsity Baseball player. Joe graduated from Morris Harvey College, currently the University of Charleston. He maintained honor roll status and played varsity baseball. Joe always remembered his coaches scouting report of him “A good stick, questionable arm, Great Glove, and running speed like a Turtle".

Joe spent nearly 60 years in education. He began teaching in 1963 at Nellis Elementary School. He laughs when he tells people that he made $218.00 per month. He and his wife Marilyn saved money on this salary. After leaving Nellis Joe served in the following capacities: Principal Ramage Elementary, Principal Madison-Danville Junior High, Assistant Administrator and Curriculum Specialist at the Boone Career Center, Principal Madison Middle School in which he and his staff were the first school in Boone County to be named Exemplary School. He was an Assistant Superintendent for 11 years, and elected to the Boone County Board of Education in 2006 and served for over 15 years. Joe loved Boone County Schools.
As an educator he loved working to make a difference in educating children and working with the public. In Joes early years of teaching and coaching he loved taking kids with very little athletic skills and teaching them work ethic and the value of the word team. But most of all, he enjoyed molding the student athletes into becoming fine young people. Joe and the teams he coached at Nellis and Ramage won many games and awards. He was given the nickname “Hardcore Joe”.
Joe was so proud that he raised the money to build the Sherman High School Baseball field in the early 90’s. In his honor the field has been named after him. Joe was going to be honored by Sherman High School on October 22, 2021.
Joe was always a giving person to family and friends. If you needed something, he was always there. Joe had many hobbies in his life. He loved his farm “Wal-Nut Grove”. He loved hunting, fishing, gardening, tearing up lawnmowers and falling out of tree-stands. He had many stories of hunting trips with Jerry and Dwight. He loved hunting with (T-Birds friends over the past 25 years [Chad, Dave, Don, Freddy, Jeffrey, Matt]). He loved hunting with Hunter and Luke as well over the past five years. But most of all he loved watching Hunter grow-up and ride tractors and try to farm, he loved watching Luke and Molly play baseball and softball, and he loved watching his son “T-Bird” cut grass and coach the boys and girls of Boone Northern. Joe also loved the producing talents of Matt and BPR. The laughs will last forever.
Joe wanted people to know like many, that he made mistakes along the way but that he used them as a learning tool to improve and make him a better man. He further wanted people to know that if he ever caused them pain and hurtful feelings, that he requests their forgiveness. In later years he asked the Lord for forgiveness and in his heart, he feels he has. Joe said often that he lived truly a great life and was ready to walk through “The Golden Gates of Heaven.”

Funeral service will be conducted at Handley Funeral Home, Monday, October 18, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Officiating the service will be Matthew Epling and Richard Harold. Visitation will be 2 hours prior to service. Burial will be at the Pineview Cemetery, Orgas, WV.

Due to Covid-19 everyone is to wear a facemask for visitation and service.