Joseph Michael Lukacs, age 85, of Wayne, passed Saturday, September 26, 2026.

He was born in Englewood and raised in Cliffside Park. Before moving to Wayne in 2012, Joe raised his family in Bogota.

Joseph was a forklift operator for the Ford Motor Company in Teterboro for 37 years before retiring in 2001.

Joseph met a pretty young woman named Carol through a mutual friend, Petey, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that he had found someone very special. The two were married on October 1, 1965, at the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ridgefield Park, beginning what would become a marriage of more than sixty years. Their honeymoon story was almost as memorable as their marriage—they first traveled to Pennsylvania Dutch Country in Pennsylvania, and the following year decided to take another honeymoon, this time to Puerto Rico, where Carol famously got severely sunburned. Through more than six decades together, Joseph and Carol built a life filled with family, friends, laughter, and countless memories. Their marriage was best characterized not simply by love, but by being best friends—partners who genuinely enjoyed one another’s company and shared life’s adventures side by side.

Joseph, affectionately known to everyone as “Pop,” was a true family man whose home and heart were always open to family, friends, and anyone who happened to stop by. He loved cars and, for many years, proudly drove a convertible Alfa Romeo. As a young man he enjoyed horseback riding with friends.  Later he played on the Ford softball team, was in a bowling league, enjoyed racquetball, and for several years coached his son Michael’s baseball team in Bogota. Some of his happiest memories were made behind the wheel of his Volvo, with his grandchildren in the backseat and his beloved Golden Retriever, Maggie, right there with them. Joseph was incredibly social and seemed to know everyone—and everyone seemed to know him. He was “Pop” not only to his own children and grandchildren, but to their friends as well. The attic he and his wife Carol renovated in Bogota became a favorite gathering place for their children and neighborhood kids, who would also spend countless summer days enjoying their pool. Joseph and Carol loved hosting dinner parties, backyard parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, creating a home where people always felt welcome. He never hesitated to make himself available to watch his “grand dogs,” Jax and Tucker, and he especially enjoyed the everyday moments spent with those he loved. Joseph was always joking, teasing, and engaging with others, and he genuinely took an interest in the lives of those around him, often asking even his favorite bartenders and servers from places he frequented with Carol about their lives and families. Joe was always the first to call or text his family members on their birthdays. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, Joseph even retired at the age of 55 so he could devote more time to helping raise his grandchildren—a testament to what mattered most to him. His greatest joy was simply being Pop: being present, being involved, and being surrounded by the people he loved.

Joseph was the loving husband of Carol (nee-Petrosino) Lukacs; devoted father of Kristen LoPresti and her husband John of Wayne, and Michael Lukacs and his wife Michele of Franklin Lakes; devoted grandfather of Jordyn LoPresti, Kate LoPresti, Michael Lukacs, and Madison Lukacs; he was also the loved brother of the late George Lukacs.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Chilton Medical Center Foundation would be greatly appreciated. Please check the “This gift in in honor, memory, or support of someone” and input Joseph Lukacs in the comment box so the family can be notified of your donation.