Joseph B. Agnelli was born on December 20, 1932 in Jamaica, Queens, New York to Joseph and Muriel Nisson Agnelli. He died March 21, 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Joe graduated from St. Xavier High School, New York in 1951. He received a B. A. in Classics and English from St. Peter's College, Jersey City, New Jersey in 1954 and graduated from Fordham University in 1963 with an M.A. in Classics.

Joe had a range of work during his lifetime. From 1955-1957, he was assigned to the Army Chemical Corps in Baltimore and Aberdeen Proving Grounds. In 1957, he was a clerk in the British Book Center, New York. He taught Latin and Classics in Translation at The Browning School for Boys (now The Browning School) in New York City from 1957-1963, and then at Pace College in New York.

In 1958, Joe also began working at The Scribner Book Store in New York where he stayed until he became manager of the then new Scribner Book Store in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1972. In 1976, he became a publishers' commission representative based in Houston and traveling Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. He was the consummate bookseller. He retired in 1996.

Joe had visited once with Sue when he called on her bookstore, Cheshire Books. In October of 1994, he called her for a dinner date when he was passing through Little Rock. They met at The Afterthought and – although it wasn't verbally expressed – the die was cast, all was settled, and they were married a few months later. They had almost 24 years of wonderful time together. They spent thousands of hours talking, and almost every night had "cheery chitchat" time before bedtime. Writer Jorge Luis Borges expressed how they felt about one another: "Being with you and not being with you is the only way I have to measure time."

Joe had never owned a pet, but when he and Sue married he became a keeper of numerous cats. He embraced all of them over the years, and when he died he left Faux, Sylvia, Tips, Maisie and Jack to miss him terribly. He was a wonderfully kind, gentle and loving man.

His interests included a vast amount of reading and doting on his home life in Little Rock. He was a lifelong Democrat.

Joe is survived by his beloved wife, Sue T. Angelli, and children, Paul, Anne, Marie, Robert and Eileen DeLucia, and one grandson, Anthony DeLucia. Other treasured family members are step-daughters, Erin Bryant (John) Jaros and Lindsey Taylor Bryant, and step-grandchildren, Patrick Bryant Jaros and Katelyn Taylor Jaros. He was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Bernard and Arthur D. Agnelli. Joe requested that no service be held.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Renee in CCI at CHI St. Vincent. Her care for Joe in his last days was extraordinary. Thank heavens there are such people in this world.

If desired, memorials may be made to FURR, P.O. Box 250567, Little Rock, AR 72225, or The Central Arkansas Library System, 100 South Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.  Cremation services are under the direction of Cremation Services of Arkansas (501) 313-5431.