Joe grew up in Ardsley, N.Y. until he entered the Army in 1943, after graduating from Ardsley High School in 1942. After his training in Camp Croft in SC, Joe sailed to Morocco, Africa. He missed the
battle of Anzio due to a breakdown of the train on which they were heading to the coast. He later went
to Naples, Italy and joined the Blue Devils (88th Division) in Rome. He was part of the 349th Infantry,
H Company. When the war ended in Italy, he came home and was due to head towards Japan. He was saved by the atom bomb that had been dropped on Japan.
Joe came home and soon after entered Mohawk College in Utica, N.Y. where he met his future wife.
Joe and Eveline were married on 9/29/1951 in St. Mary's Church in New York Mills, N.Y. and moved to Connecticut. They lived on the Taylor farm where his brother Dick farmed it for a while. They purchased
a 6.5 acre hilltop, cleared it themselves and built a very small house that later became the garage.
Joe was employed at Research Products, later Mosler Research Products until Mosler left Danbury.
He then worked at Ullman Devices in Ridgefield until he retired.
Joe became a member of the New Fairfield Veterans Association, and Historical Society where he
and Evie were docents at the little red schoolhouse for many years. They also took care of the Union Cemetery on RT 39. Joe was also on the New Fairfield planning commission for many years.
He always had an interest in trains and antique cars and was an expert on old water mills.
Surviving Joe, besides his wife, are three sons: Edward and James of Raleigh N.C. and J. Michael of Brimfield, MA, and eight grandchildren. Also surviving is his brother J. Richard of Ghent, N.Y. and sister Nancy LeClair of New Hampshire.
A funeral mass will be at St. Edward the Confessor Church on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, at 10:30AM with burial at Mountain View Cemetery with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut, 30 Milestone Road, Danbury 06810 or the New Fairfield Veterans Association.
