Obituary of Benjamin A. Mittiga

Benjamin (Ben) Anthony Mittiga, 88, of Geneva, NY, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Ben was born December 12, 1937, in Newark, NY, the son of Benjamin Mittiga and Concetta DeBois. Ben married Josephine (Josie) Augustine on May 6, 1961, at St. Francis deSales Church, officiated by Father Valenti. Ben and Josie enjoyed a beautiful marriage of almost 65 years. Ben and Josie welcomed their first son, Benjamin, in 1964, and their second son, Christopher, in 1969. He was an exemplary model for his sons and grandchildren of how to be a husband, father, and honorable man. Ben attended Newark schools, then joined the United States Navy in 1954 at the age of 17. He served on the USS Intrepid until being honorably discharged. Following his Navy service, Ben worked at Bloomer Brothers Co. before beginning his carpentry career at DeJohn Home Builders. From there, he joined Sabotka Construction, working his way from carpenter to head estimator, running the Auburn branch. In 1989, he ventured on his own to start the Ben Mittiga Construction Company Inc. with his sons, Ben and Chris, and wife, Josie. They grew the company into a successful family business that still serves the Finger Lakes region today. He operated the company the same way he lived his life, with integrity and humility. Ben retired from the company at the age of 75 to spend more time with his family at the lake house he had built with his sons decades earlier. Ben especially loved woodworking, gardening, genealogy, fishing with his grandchildren, and spending time on the water with his family. He was known for his storytelling, able to capture the attention and laughter of any room he was in. Ben was a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish and regularly collected at St. Francis deSales Church. Ben is survived by his wife Josephine Mittiga; sons, Benjamin (Kelly) Mittiga and Christopher (Deborah) Mittiga; grandchildren, Andrew (Jessica), Alexander (Sara), Sydney, Benjamin, and John Mittiga; great-grandson, Christopher Mittiga; brother, Robert (Nell) Mittiga; and sister-in-law, Barbara Mittiga. He was predeceased by his parents, Benjamin and Concetta Mittiga, and his brother, Dominic Mittiga. Visitation will be held Friday, February 27, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Palmisano-Mull Funeral Home in Geneva, New York. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 28 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis deSales Church in Geneva. Interment will follow at Glenwood Cemetery on Lochland Road in Geneva. Memorial donations in Ben's memory may be directed to Our Lady of Peace Parish in Geneva, New York.