Joseph Edward Bacci

Regrettably, Joseph Edward Bacci, of Woodstock, NY passed away at the age of 82 on January 20th, 2026 of natural causes.

Joe lived a storied life starting from birth. He was born in in Panama in 1943 while his father worked on constructing the canal. He then spent his early childhood in Idaho, with his teenage years in Alaska. In high school, he won the National Science Fair and proceeded to study physics at Brown University while serving in the US National Guard. After living in various cities and military bases across the US, Joe untimely settled in Woodstock, NY atop Meads Mountain.

Although he worked in computers for IBM and as a private contractor, Joe's life-long passion was jazz and Big Band music. He organized and played in numerous bands over his life, including his own large ensemble "The Joe Bacci Big Band", which played free, public shows throughout the Hudson Valley.

Joe was a kind, generous, and erudite man who was as just at home conversing about philosophy or quantum mechanics as he was in camping in the great outdoors—just as long as he had a strong cup of coffee. He survived by his son, Joseph Raymond Bacci, and his ex-wife, Dyann.

The date and location for a memorial service have yet to be chosen but will likely take place at a venue in Ulster County where he loved to play music. All of those who knew Joe will be welcome come and celebrate his life.