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Obituary of Joseph J. Pianelli
September 19, 1948 - April 7, 2026
Joseph J. Pianelli. Age 77 of Brownstown.
Beloved husband of Kathleen Pianelli. Loving father of Erin (Guy) Allen and the late Lauren Pianelli. Dearest grandfather of Brady Allen and Henry Allen. Dear brother-in-law of Shawn McCarthy. Preceded in death by his parents Jake and Nell Pianelli and his sister Patricia Elaine Lilly and brother-in-law John Lilly.
Joseph graduated from the University of Detroit in 1976, which is where he met his wife, Kathy. They were married in 1976 and would’ve celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
He spent the majority of his career as a Special Agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms until his retirement in 2003. In retirement, he was an avid golfer and loved to relax with a good cigar.
He served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and was able to continue his service in Italy afterwards. He was a proud Italian American.
Joseph was extremely generous and loving, always putting his family first. He made friends everywhere he went.
Memorial contributions in honor of Joseph J.Pianelli are appreciated to Downriver for Veterans or the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.
Driven by a passion to serve families, our team is comprised of compassionate and dedicated people who are always willing to go above and beyond to support each family during a difficult time.
Our caring and professional staff will also go to great lengths to assist your family in creating a personalized and unique service for your loved one.
At Molnar Funeral Homes we offer four different locations from which families can choose.
Our History
John Molnar, Sr. opened the Detroit Hungarian Funeral Home, now the Molnar Funeral Homes, in 1923. The funeral home began in his home until relocating across the street to it's Delray location at 8623 Dearborn Avenue, in 1936. He had a strong work ethic and believed that you should never stop learning...
