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September 23, 2023
Services
A memorial is being planned for a future date to celebrate Josef’s life.
Josef Kneis - loving husband, father, Opa and Great Opa, passed away peacefully at home in Wayne on September 23rd, 2023, at age 94.
Joe was a simple and humble man in many ways, but he, along with his beloved wife, Sieglinde, who passed in 2020, made a remarkable impact on many lives - particularly those of his family, which includes 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren (with more on the way).
Born in Bakonyjako, Hungary, Joe was the youngest of 9 surviving children. After losing 4 brothers in WWII, Joe was left at a young age to tend the family farm with his sisters. Forced to leave Hungary following the Russian occupation of the country, he was sent to East Germany, thereafter escaping to the west, and settling in Munich, West Germany, where he met the love of his life, Sieglinde. They married and emigrated to the U.S. in 1955, in search of opportunity. After briefly residing in Haledon, they settled in Wayne, where they lived together for 62 years and raised a family, prior to Sieglinde’s passing in 2020.
Initially working as a mason, Josef, in need of year-round work, took a job at the Ford automotive plant in Mahwah, where he worked in the Trim Department for 24 years, until the plant’s closing. He then took a maintenance position with Estee Lauder/Aramis in Oakland, NJ, where he worked until his retirement.
If Joe had a hobby, it was landscaping. Passersby often commented on how meticulously well-maintained his yard always was. If Joe had any enemies, they were certainly chipmunks or squirrels (see prior sentence).
Josef leaves behind four children – daughters Irene Riley (Tim – recently deceased) and Debbie Grant, and sons Walter Kneis (Debbie) and Michael Kneis (Clare), along with the aforementioned legacy of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
A memorial is being planned for a future date to celebrate Josef’s life.
September 23, 2023
Services
A memorial is being planned for a future date to celebrate Josef’s life.
Josef Kneis - loving husband, father, Opa and Great Opa, passed away peacefully at home in Wayne on September 23rd, 2023, at age 94.
Joe was a simple and humble man in many ways, but he, along with his beloved wife, Sieglinde, who passed in 2020, made a remarkable impact on many lives - particularly those of his family, which includes 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren (with more on the way).
Born in Bakonyjako, Hungary, Joe was the youngest of 9 surviving children. After losing 4 brothers in WWII, Joe was left at a young age to tend the family farm with his sisters. Forced to leave Hungary following the Russian occupation of the country, he was sent to East Germany, thereafter escaping to the west, and settling in Munich, West Germany, where he met the love of his life, Sieglinde. They married and emigrated to the U.S. in 1955, in search of opportunity. After briefly residing in Haledon, they settled in Wayne, where they lived together for 62 years and raised a family, prior to Sieglinde’s passing in 2020.
Initially working as a mason, Josef, in need of year-round work, took a job at the Ford automotive plant in Mahwah, where he worked in the Trim Department for 24 years, until the plant’s closing. He then took a maintenance position with Estee Lauder/Aramis in Oakland, NJ, where he worked until his retirement.
If Joe had a hobby, it was landscaping. Passersby often commented on how meticulously well-maintained his yard always was. If Joe had any enemies, they were certainly chipmunks or squirrels (see prior sentence).
Josef leaves behind four children – daughters Irene Riley (Tim – recently deceased) and Debbie Grant, and sons Walter Kneis (Debbie) and Michael Kneis (Clare), along with the aforementioned legacy of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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