With an affable, likeable nature, Joe quickly adapted to the rigors of West Point. Possessing innate athletic ability, Joe was on the first teams of both baseball and basketball, earning a major A in each sport. The room shared by Joe and Bill Brady was a favorite gathering place for classmates to enjoy spirited conversations and the jovial good nature of Joe and Bill. As Bill wrote in the January ’43 Howitzer, “Many are the nights [Joe] entertained us with his songs, dances, and funny sayings. A natural hive, a true friend, and a good fellow, he should be the type of officer the Army wants.” Joe had little trouble with academics, graduating in the upper half of his class.

After graduation and the Signal Corps School at Ft. Monmouth, Joe was assigned to the 7th Armored Division on maneuvers in the California desert. After Joe and Nancy were married in September 1943 during the division’s move to Ft. Benning, he deployed to Europe with the division in early 1944 and participated in many of its campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge. During combat, Joe advanced to the position of assistant division signal officer and was awarded the Bronze Star for his outstanding performance.

Joe returned to the United States in January 1946 and joyously met daughter Joanne, who had been born in August 1944. After a brief stay in the States, Joe took his family with him to Germany in July 1946. He served there as a signal battalion commander until January 1948. Then the family moved to Ft. Lewis, where Joe was the signal officer of the 2d Infantry Division. While there, the growing family happily welcomed daughter Judy, born 27 September 1948, and a son, Joseph Jr., born 6 February 1950. Next, the family moved to Michigan, and Joe earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering in February 1952. This was followed by an important assignment for several months as a member of a combat communications operational research team in South Korea and Japan.

Next, the family moved to Ft. Monmouth, NJ, where Joe worked in the Signal laboratories during 1952-54. They welcomed their second son, John, into the world on 19 December 1953. Joe was selected to attend the Command & General Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth, so the family moved there in 1954. After completion of the course in 1955. Joe and Nancy and their four children enjoyed a delightful tour at West Point, where Joe was the post signal officer during 1956-59. Joe then did an unaccompanied tour to South Korea during which he commanded the 51st Signal Battalion. His final assignment was on the staff of the chief signal officer of the Army. Joe retired as a colonel in 1963.

After military retirement, Joe was employed during the 1960s by Philco-Ford in Indonesia and Thailand. On 6 December 1969, the family endured the loss of Joseph, Jr., who tragically died at age 19 in an automobile accident. In the early 1970s, Joe and Nancy moved to the beautiful home they purchased in Falls Church, Virginia. Joe and Nancy were very devoted to each other and loved to entertain. They frequently hosted family and friends, including West Point classmates and wives, for delightful parties and dinners. They were charming hosts who took great pleasure in making guests comfortable and ensuring their enjoyment.

Joe continued to work in the Washington, DC, area — initially for Battelle Memorial Institute as a consultant, then for the First Columbia Company as an insurance manager. Finally, he worked for more than 15 years as the Washington, DC, assistant representative of Pertamina, the National Oil Company of Indonesia.

In his spare time, Joe became a fine golfer who truly enjoyed playing the game and the fellowship involved, particularly with his West Point classmates. He also was a key performer for the Arlington Barbershop Men’s Chorus for many years. His multitude of friends often had the benefit of his willingness to entertain them impromptu with his humorous songs and anecdotes. We who knew him best never heard him raise his voice in anger or say an unkind word about anyone. When he passed away in 1996 at age 77, he left a void that still exists. His loving family and friends sorely miss him.

There is no question that Joe fully embodied “Duty, Honor, Country” as the guiding banner in his noteworthy life. His contributions to the success of West Point’s athletic teams are recognized in two memorials. One of these is at the Kimsey Athletic Center, where the women’s basketball conference room bears his respected name. The other is at the baseball field where his name is on a plaque in the locker room of the visiting team.

His beloved Nancy followed him in death on 22 January 2000, and they now rest peacefully together at Arlington. They left us cherished memories of two beautiful people who truly belonged to each other and showered love on others.

— Family and classmates