Giuseppe Zupičić

Mr Giuseppe Zupičić was born in Labin, Istria, Austra-Hungary (modern-day Croatia) on 19 October 1892, the son of Giuseppe and Marot Zupičić.

Zupičić went to sea around 1909 and worked on ships for the next five years, making an estimated 22 Atlantic crossings. 

On 14 April 1912 Zupičić was serving as a steward aboard Carpathia; he had just completed his shift of duty and retired to bed shortly before midnight and fell into a deep sleep. He reportedly awoke when a bell began ringing out on deck. Arriving up on deck, he recalled being addressed by Captain Rostron who advised that the Titanic was in trouble and that Carpathia was turning around to assist her.

Zupičić drifted through different jobs between 1912 and the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, including dishwashing jobs in New York. The War meant that Carpathia was laid-up in New York so he joined two of his colleagues from the ship, Peter Vlaticich and Antonio Persić in Shamokin, Pennsylvania where they garnered work as miners. A mine explosion in 1921 caused Zupičić serious injury, requiring the amputation of his left forearm; rallying however, two years later he opened his own grocery store, Mom & Pops, in Shamokin which remained in operation for over fifty years. To supplement his earnings, he also worked as a janitor. In 1918 he married local girl Lucille Eccker (b. 1901), the daughter of Slavic immigrants, and the couple raised a family of four children, three daughters and one son. 

Zupičić, who in America was known as Joseph Zupicich, frequently spoke to the press about his experiences and in his later years admitted that the Carpathia medal given to him—and all other members of Carpathia’s crew—had long since been misplaced. 

Joseph Zupicich died in Shamokin aged 94 on 12 April 1987 and was buried in St Edward’s Cemetery, Coal Township, Pennsylvania. He is believed to have been the last surviving member of crew from the Carpathia. He was survived by his wife Lucille (who died in 1990) and two children.