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IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Joseph Francesco

Joseph Francesco Aceto Profile Photo

Aceto

Dec 16, 1957 — Aug 11, 2026

Kennett Square, PA

Funeral Services

Visitation

August
28

Friday

St. Malachi Chapel

76 Saint Malachi Road, Cochranville, PA 19330

9:30 - 10:30 am (Eastern time)

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Mass

August
28

Friday

St. Malachi Chapel

76 Saint Malachi Road, Cochranville, PA 19330

Starts at 10:30 am (Eastern time)

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Interment

August
28

Friday

Saint Malachi Church Cemetery

76 St Malachi Rd, Cochranville, PA 19330

11:30 am - 12:30 pm (Eastern time)

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Obituary

  1. Joseph Francesco Aceto, 68, of Kennett Square, PA, passed away at his home on
  2. Tuesday, August 11, 2026. He was the beloved husband of Helen Wheeler Aceto with
  3. whom he shared 37 years of marriage. Born in Darby, PA he was the son of the late
  4. Francesco "Frank" Aceto and Maria “Mary” Amatucci Aceto.

  6. Joe and his family were for many years resident in Havertown, Delaware County. He
  7. attended Haverford High School where he was a keen sportsman playing both football
  8. and lacrosse. However, his greater passion was school and learning, he continued the
  9. latter lifelong beginning that journey at Bloomsburg University where, in addition to
  10. playing lacrosse, he successfully completed B.S. degrees in Biology and Mathematics.
  11. After Bloomsburg he returned home to Havertown where his interest in science and
  12. discovery led him to Drexel University and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering &
  13. Science. Teachers at Drexel encouraged him to enter a Ph.D. research program in the
  14. Department of Pharmacology at Temple University School of Medicine; it was at in the
  15. library at Temple that he and Helen first met in March 1986.

  17. After completing his Ph.D. in cardiovascular research in 1987, Joe continued in basic
  18. biomedical research for almost 15 years; first at Geisinger Clinic, Weis Center for
  19. Cardiovascular Research in Danville PA, followed by Hoffman-La Roche, Roche
  20. Institute of Molecular Biology in Nutley New Jersey, and then the University of
  21. Pennsylvania.

  23. In 1997, without abandoning his love for scientific research and discovery, Joe
  24. undertook a change in career direction whereby he might use his expertise to support
  25. others in research endeavors. He therefore began pursuing a law degree; attending
  26. Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, DE at night and weekends.
  27. Coincidentally, Helen had just completed a career switch of her own from basic scientist
  28. to veterinarian graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary
  29. Medicine, a change wholeheartedly supported in every way by Joe.

  31. Joe obtained his J.D. in 2001, sitting for both the general and patent bars. In 2002 he
  32. left the lab behind and became Counsel & Director of Intellectual Property at Immunicon
  33. Corp., a publicly traded, start-up biotechnology and medical device company based in
  34. Huntingdon Valley, PA with operations in the United States and Europe.

  36. After spending six years with Immunicon, and many years of long commutes before
  37. that, in 2008 Joe determined to develop a solo practice. He spent the last 18 years as a
  38. self-employed Intellectual Property Attorney where his major commute was to his office
  39. upstairs; with occasional trips into Philadelphia to Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell and
  40. Hippel LLP where he was of counsel for the last 16 years, or elsewhere to meet with his
  41. clients.

  43. Although he continued to specialize in patent protection and research development
  44. issues for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biotechnology, Joe loved his work and
  45. as a solo practitioner willingly helped clients with all manner of patents, trademarks and
  46. copyrights from dog toys to church matters.

  48. Spending more time at home with Helen was his other love. No matter where they
  49. lived, even in an apartment early in their married life, they always had little, or
  50. sometimes not so little, projects on the go, in the pipeline, or as the kernel of an idea;
  51. whether it involved construction, sausage and cheese making, adventures in baking, or
  52. anything else, they aways did everything together. In their current home they planned
  53. and, with a great deal of wonderful help, completed many renovations looking forward to
  54. a happy retirement. In addition to home renovations or projects large and small, Joe
  55. enjoyed caring for his yard and barn, working in their gardens and helping preserve the
  56. harvest from their extensive vegetable garden. He was particularly fond of anything that
  57. involved using his tractor plus or minus its front loader and/or backhoe. His interest in
  58. learning and discovery extended beyond science to the culinary, he always had fun
  59. looking for interesting recipes and preparing them…a science experiment in the kitchen
  60. or on the barbecue. He was even more active searching for and preparing recipes over
  61. the last year or more while the house was undergoing major renovations and temporary
  62. kitchen accommodations increased the need for creative, tasty, simplicity!

  64. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two brothers; Michael Aceto and partner Karen
  65. Tate, Frank Aceto and wife Linda and their children; Michael and wife Erin Chance,
  66. Elyse and husband Greg Stephens and their children Rose, Luke and June; and one
  67. sister Angelina Lamparski and husband Ted and their children; Marissa and husband
  68. Pat Murphy, Teddy and wife Cabrey and their children Quinn and Maryn. He is also
  69. survived by his cousin Anne Marie Amatucci and her partner Dave Dartnell.

  71. A Mass Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 28, 2026 at 10:30am at
  72. the St. Malachi Chapel, 76 St. Malachi Road, Cochranville, PA, 19330, followed by an
  73. interment in the adjoining cemetery. Family and friends are also invited to attend the
  74. visitation at the Chapel from 9:30am until the time of service.

  76. Arrangements have been entrusted to Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg. Online
  77. condolences can be posted at www.wildefuneralhome.com
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