Joseph Robert Ardigo, 78, of Delray Beach, left this world on January 8th, 2026, carried gently into the next chapter of his journey. Born on November 1, 1947, in the bright, bustling heart of Coney Island, Brooklyn, he was the beloved son of Helen and Cesare Ardigo.

Joey's childhood unfolded on city streets alive with laughter and scraped knees, playing Kick the Can, stickball, Ring-A-Leavio, and Johnny on the Pony. Those games were the first beats of a rhythm that would follow him all his life. He picked up his first guitar in 1958, but it was the drums that claimed his heart. When his parents told him he'd need to "get a job" if he wanted to play, he didn't hesitate. He scrubbed pots and pans in a bakery until he could buy his first set of mother‑of‑pearl Gretsch drums, the beginning of a lifelong love affair with music.

At sixteen, he wrote and recorded his first original song, "Too Young to Love," with his band The Atlantics. It was only the first spark as music became his compass, his language, his way of moving through the world. His path led him from winning the Battle of the Bands at the World's Fair with The Torn Souls, a victory that earned a recording contract, to performing with countless groups over the years: The New Image, Warhorse, Spice of Life, Rainbow Orchestra, Johnny, Joe and Thino, The Hip Pocket. He shared stages with artists like Pete and the Pirates, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Ben E. King, The Shirelles, The Drifters, The Coasters, Chuck Jackson, Frankie Lymon, and the Bee Gees, just a glimpse of the company he kept.

Joey wrote more than 200 original songs, each one a piece of his soul set to melody. "Summertime in Brooklyn", featured in the film Last Night in Brooklyn,  "Moon Child," "Summer Love," "Fighting Back," and "Stupid Excuses" were only a few of the stories he carved into sound.

On December 28, 2025, Joey was honored with the Award for Outstanding Producer, Composer, and Arranger, and he took the stage at the Nashville Music Awards, a milestone he had spent his entire life reaching for. It was more than recognition; it was the culmination of decades of devotion, grit, and unshakable passion. As he performed, his music and spirit rose together, filling the room with the unmistakable warmth of a dream finally realized. In that moment, his life's work didn't just shine, it sang!

But Joey's greatest masterpiece was the way he loved.

He loved his family, his friends, and the simple miracle of being alive with a devotion that was unmistakable. Watching him sing while his wife Susan danced beside him was witnessing a private kind of magic, two souls in perfect harmony. Listening to him and his sisters laugh until their sides ached made time feel endless. Hearing the pride in his voice when he spoke of his daughters revealed the depth of his heart. And the way he held his granddaughters, gentle, protective, overflowing with wonder, showed the softness beneath his strength.

Joey lifted people. He saw them. He made strangers feel like old friends. His light didn't just shine, it warmed. His "Joey‑isms," delivered with perfect timing, always landed exactly where they were needed. Whether he was joking around at home, riding his bike to the paddle courts shouting "Hasta La Pasta!" with his paddleball family, spreading joy with his Drum Cycle crew, grounding himself with his AA family and reminding everyone that "It's an inside job," or sharing spumoni and stories with his Brooklyn buddies, or sharing his heart through writing his NO STRESS EXPRESS prayers and affirmations. Joey lived the truth he discovered early on: the spice of life is living it, fully, fearlessly, joyfully.  He was and always will be The Spiritual Warrior!

He carried that spirit into his work with the NYC Parks Department, serving the city that shaped him.

Joey is survived by his daughter, Bianca Ardigo; his sisters, Linda Ardigo and Carol Ardigo; his granddaughters, Angalee Ziti and Jade Ziti; his nieces, Cheryl Ferrelli and Vanessa Ferrelli; and his nephew, Evan Mantri.

He is reunited in peace with his wife, Susan Ardigo; his daughter, Helene Ardigo; and his nephew, Peter Ferrelli.

A memorial will be held on January 15 (Thursday) from 2:00–4:00 pm at Boynton Beach Memorial, 800 Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL.

Flowers are not necessary. Instead, bring your stories, your laughter, your memories, the pieces of Joey that will continue to live on in all of us.