Joseph Alexander Strasser

Dr. Joseph Alexander Strasser, 89, passed away peacefully on September 12, 2021, after a lengthy illness. He will be remembered for his love of animals and his compassion for others. Joe is survived by his nephew, Dr. Stephen Strasser, (Susan), and two grandnephews, Tristan and Eric. He was preceded in death by his parents,

Dr. Paul and Natalie Kaufmann Strasser, and his brother, Dr. Alexander Strasser.

Joe was born in Vienna, Austria, April 15, 1932, where he spent his early years. His father and later his brother were doctors, and his mother, Natalie, was a native of Poland who spoke six languages. In March, 1938, the Third Reich annexed Austria. It was during that year that Dr. Paul Strasser was sent to a concentration camp.

Joe was just eight years old when he and his brother, Alex, arrived in New York aboard a rescue ship with only the clothes on their backs. They were taken in by an aunt in Queens. It was the same year their mother died. Their father, Paul, reunited with them a year later.

Joe graduated from Syracuse University in 1953 with a degree in history. After serving as a finance officer in the U. S. Army during the Korean conflict, he returned earning a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1958. Later, he became the first Budget Officer in Savannah, Georgia, where he was nominated as Young Man of the Year. In 1968, Joe was appointed Budget Officer by Mayor Hans Tanzler in Jacksonville’s new Consolidated Government. Strasser, who was also a successful land investor served in various fiscal positions under several administrations until he retired in 1996.

Strasser was a member of the Board of Tree Hill Nature Center, a 50-acre nature park, and served as its President. He donated funds to renovate the park and amphitheater, replace its main gate, and provided for the park’s operation and maintenance. He received great joy in sponsoring the annual Butterfly Festival which is enjoyed and attended by thousands of people. With his great love of animals, Strasser also supported First Coast No More Homeless Pets whose veterinary clinic is now located in the Joseph A. Strasser Animal Health and Welfare Building.

Strasser was the recipient of Syracuse University’s Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award in 2005, and the first ever Maxwell Award for Public Administration in 2006. In 2011, Joe was the recipient of the University’s Maxwell School Horizon Award for Philanthropy and Volunteerism. Joe also received the University's top award for alumni accomplishment, the George Arents award in 2018.

Joe’s greatest philanthropy has been to the Maxwell School for which he has given in excess of seven million dollars. Those gifts have established the Strasser Commons, the Dr. Paul and Natalie Strasser Legacy Room, the Strasser Academic Village; and endowed a professorship in public administration, and a graduate student scholarship. In recognition of his philanthropic and community service, Syracuse University awarded him the Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, March 18, 2020.

Joe was also the recipient of the Searching for Identity Lifetime Achievement Award. He was an exceptional American immigrant who was inspired by love and loss, in search of family, and determined to leave this world for the better.

The family would like to thank the many health care providers, caregivers, and friends who supported Joe during his illness. Joe touched the lives of many and he will be greatly missed by all who loved and knew him. One of Joe’s favorite sayings came from the song sung by Frank Sinatra, “I did it my way”.

A celebration of life service will be held Monday, September 27, 2021, at 11am at Legacy Lodge, Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, 4801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL, 32207. A viewing will be held thirty minutes prior to the service. Interment will follow at 2:30pm at the Jacksonville National Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Road. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to First Coast No More Homeless Pets or Tree Hill Nature Preserve in memory of Joseph A. Strasser.