Joseph Haddad

Joseph J. Haddad, age 92, of Boonton, passed Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

Joseph was born in Paterson to John and Jamile Haddad.  Joe went to Central High School and participated in the photography club, rifle club and baseball team. He graduated with the Class of 1950 with hopes to become a draftsman.

When Joe was just fourteen years old, he found work as a shoeshine and golf caddy. He often told of his first true job as a soda jerk at Tomkins Ice Cream in Paterson; this began his lifelong streak of continuous earning, never going a week without employment. During high school, he also worked for his father as a weaver on a silk loom. Following high school Joe also worked as an under-presser at a ladies clothing store in Paterson.

As a young adult, Joe had great aspirations and always actively pursued them. After high school Joe completed training to become a draftsman.  From 1951 to 1957, he served in the US Navy.  During his two-year active duty tour, he sailed on the USS Lloyd Thomas.  After completing his Reserve obligation, he was Honorably discharged with the rank of MML3 (Machinist's Mate 3rd Class) on June 5, 1957. Following his naval service, Joe studied engineering at Farleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck.  He then began a career as a draftsman for the Curtis Wright Corporation and Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton. In 1969 Joe’s entrepreneurial spirit moved him into the pet industry.  For years he owned the Pet Pourri store in Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. He would go on to open six pet store locations, The Game Room store in Fairfield, and other business ventures such as ice cream parlors, Tex-Mex restaurant, children’s clothing store, optical stores, solar panels, online pet supply, and a photography kiosk.  He later established the All Creatures Great & Small Animal Hospital in Fairfield with his son Glen who now carries on the family business.  Joe stopped going into his office in 2023, at the age of 91, but he never truly retired.

Joe met the love of his life, Loretta Lopusnak, at the Mushroom Farm Dance Hall in Bergen County, where he asked Loretta for their first dance. Deeply in love and respectful of tradition, Joe asked Loretta's father for her hand in marriage, a moment filled with anticipation and reverence. On August 11, 1962, they were married in a beautiful ceremony at St. Anne’s Church in Paterson, followed by a joyous reception at The Brownstone in Paterson. Joe planned and arranged a month-long honeymoon to Europe, visiting England, Italy, Germany, France, and Switzerland.  This was the start of Joe creating memories that would last a lifetime. In 1964, Joe designed, drafted and built his forever home in Boonton Township where Joe and Loretta’s loving and devoted marriage was blessed with four children and nine grandchildren.

Joe was a devoted man whose unwavering commitment to his Christian faith touched the lives of everyone who knew him. Joe often shared about the pivotal moment that occurred in December 1971, when he committed his life to Christ. For many years, he was a long-standing and active member of Calvary Temple in Wayne, where he served as a deacon and on the board of directors. He was the chairman of the building committee when Calvary Temple expanded to Preakness Ave and played an integral role in the construction of the facility and campus. His dedication to the church extended beyond his leadership roles, as he was always ready to lend a helping hand, offer guidance, and share the love of Christ with others. Joe’s faithfulness and service were a testament to his beliefs, making him a cherished figure within the congregation and a dependable friend to many.

Joe was a man of words, never short on them, always ready with a story or an opinion, whether you asked for it or not. His voice, full of conviction, could fill any room, often sharing advice about life, faith, and family. A man who placed Christ first and his family a close second, Joe's passion for both ran deep. Joe had a love for food; he had a longstanding weekly tradition inviting friends and family to his favorite hot dog eateries for “2 no onions 2”.   For recreation he enjoyed tennis, golf, traveling and truly cherished family vacations. Traveling brought him joy, and he loved exploring new places, but nothing compared to the warmth and laughter of family gatherings, where his stories flowed freely and advice was always given with a hearty dose of humor and care. “Uncle Joe” was always recording family events on video and engaging all. He enjoyed photography, and loved any type of gadget he could get his hands on. One of Joe’s favorite family traditions was having Sunday Dinner at his mother’s home, where she would cook a traditional Lebanese dinner.

Joe is the beloved husband of sixty-two years to Loretta (Lopusnak) Haddad; devoted father of Gary and his wife Susan Haddad of Marietta, GA, Glen and his wife Jodi Haddad of Fairfield, Jill and her husband Rob Murray of Collegeville, PA, and Jane and her husband Tony Stuart of Kintnersville, PA; he is the cherished grandfather of Nickolas, Steven, Mitchell Haddad; Luke, Ruby, Lila Murray; Eden, Daphne, and Coco Stuart; he is the loved brother of Fred Haddad of Lincoln Park and Helen Cubby of Hewitt.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Samaritan’s Purse (samaritanspurse.org)