Joseph Smith

In lieu of flowers memorial donation to Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 or Several Sources Shelter, PO Box 157 Ramsey, NJ 07446 would be appreciated.

JOSEPH'S LIFE STORY

Joe was born in Albany, New York to Frances and Jacob Smith.  He lived in Albany until he began his career in New York City.  It was at the Coca-Cola Export Corp. where Joe met Eileen. Their first date was to the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center and then to dinner at Benihana.   That was in December of 1971.  In March of 1972 they became engaged and were married on July 29, 1972.  The day before they were married they both became unemployed!  Coca-Cola moved the subsidiary to Atlanta and although they went to Atlanta to see if they wanted to make a move, it was too important to be close to family so they stayed in New York.

Joe and Eileen honeymooned in Mexico starting in Mexico City and winding their way down through small towns into Acapulco.  Joe loved Mexico.  He had traveled there extensively for business and they went back together several times exploring smaller towns and villages.

Joe worked for Todd Shipyards for a seven years and during that time was sent to various shipyards.  Eileen always traveled with him and they were able to live for short periods of time in Redondo Beach, California, Seattle, Washington, and Galveston, Texas.  They made the most of this opportunity throughout the country — from Mexico to British Columbia and Vancouver, the northwestern states and the south.   Through his career Joe also worked at the Schaefer Brewing Company, Haskins & Sells, Financial Information Services Agency (FISA), and Pace University where he also worked as an adjunct professor.

When Joe graduated from high school he didn’t know what he wanted to do so he joined the Marines.  He always credited the Marines with giving him focus and maturity.  His mother said he left a boy and returned a man.  He was proud of his service to his country and when he saw a fellow Marine on the street he would be sure to extend the greeting, “Semper Fi.”

On returning home, Joe began his studies at Renssalear Polytechnic Institute graduating with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.  He continued his studies receiving four Master’s degrees from New York University (NYU):  Master of Business Education, Master of Industrial Engineering, Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, and Master of Science in Operations Research.   Joe was a great believer in education.  When he married Eileen she had a two-year secretarial degree.  For the first few years of their marriage he gave her courses at NYU in subjects he knew she would enjoy and then encouraged her to go to NYU for undergraduate work and then Pace for graduate degrees.

Joe had many interests. He loved sports and amazed people with the way he was able to retain statistics not just of his favorite sport, baseball, but hockey and football as well.  He was a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.   His nephews Eric (and his wife Nikki) and Scott gave him the MLB station for Christmas the last two years and he did not miss a game.

He took great interest in the sinking of the Titanic — both from a standpoint of engineering and sociology.  He believed that this tragedy awakened people to the injustice of the class system as upper class people were taken to safety as lower classes locked behind gates left to die.

Joe simply loved being with people.  After 31 years in Queens they moved to Wayne and they always felt it was the best move they ever made.  They were close to family in Wayne - and closer to family in Albany.  Joe had wonderful friends in Wayne:  neighbors, church communities, and his pool pals. When the pool closed this year on Labor Day, Joe wanted to have a winter pool reunion.  He shared this with his friend Brian Nafash and with his wife Cris they managed to pull off a reunion just a few weeks ago.  It’s so wonderful that he had that time with people whom he loved.

He also loved animals.  When Joe and Eileen lived in California they adopted a neighbor’s cat.  They’ve had cats ever since and Joe spoiled them terribly.  Sam, Rusty, and Ozzie, the current feline family members, are all Wayne cats who wandered up on his deck.

Joe loved being with family.  When he moved to New York to start his first job out of college he spent his vacations back in Albany with his three nephews and niece going to the Catskill Game Farm and Fort Edward.   When great nieces and nephews came along he enjoyed time with them as well — with Stephanie and Chris at the Toll Gate for ice cream and Moreau Lake and with Renee and Marissa watching cartoons.   He enjoyed spending time with his two New Jersey nephews, he had dinner just a week ago with Scott — a fellow engineer of whom he was so proud and he would watch his St. Louis Cardinals agonizing over every play with his nephews Eric and Mike and his brother-in-law Artie.  Within the last few months several of his nephews and nieces were able to get to NJ to visit and he was so thrilled.

Joe was a very devoted husband.  A cousin once remarked that Joe and Eileen did everything together - and that’s very true.  Be it as simple as Saturday morning at the “OD” (Oakland Diner) to seeing much of this country, to day trips around New Jersey, or just hanging out with friends at the pool they were always together.  Though Joe was Roman Catholic and Eileen is a Lutheran they spent much time in one another’s parishes.  Joe always felt that there was a chance that he would predecease Eileen and with that in mind encouraged her to do things on her own.  He was very supportive in her church work even to giving up Saturday mornings for two years while she pursued her diaconal studies.  He encouraged her friendships.  He encouraged her career.   In going through some papers the day that Joe died, Eileen found that he had kept every review she received when working.  He was proud and encouraging of her achievements.  When Eileen was diagnosed with a rare cancer he was her biggest cheerleader, nurse extraordinaire, and advocate.   He tried his hand at cooking for her but that cooking was not his forte.  Yet he excelled at scrambled eggs and Jell-O.  He was always grateful to his sister-in-law Racquel and her husband Art for taking Eileen to all her appointments, making meals, and other ways of caring that are too numerous to mention.

Joe’s faith was very important to him.  He attended Our Lady Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church in Albany where he was active as an altar boy.  He was so dedicated to this work that he was often called upon for weddings and funerals — but with strict instructions from Sister DeSales:  do not sing!  (Singing was not his gift.)  He continued his schooling at Vincentian Institute in Albany where he formed life-long friendships.  He was a daily communicant at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church and attended religious education classes there as well as First Friday Adoration.  

It is impossible to name every person whose life he touched and how much each person in his life — from new friends to those going back to his school days — meant to him.  If he would have one wish it would be that all those whom he loved and now live with his memory know that he loved them and was grateful to God for them.  

He is survived by his cherished wife, Eileen, his sister- and brother-in-law Racquel and Arthur White, his nephews and nieces: Michael (Mary Jean) Jackson, Thomas (Janice) Jackson, Daniel Jackson, Marybeth (Thomas) Huyck, Eric (Nicole) White, and Scott White and his great nephews and nieces:  Stephanie (Jason) Cosco, Renee Jackson, Marissa (Trey) Jasenski), and Thomas Huyck.  He was predeceased by his parents Frances and Jacob Smith, his sister Joan Jackson and brother-in-law Robert Jackson, his beloved great nephew Christopher Jackson and dear friend Francis O’Connor.

Eternal rest grant him, O Lord and may light perpetual shine upon him.

May he with all the saints in the mercy of God rest in peace.