Joseph Paul Haller, III

Joseph Paul "Joe" Haller, III passed away unexpectedly late Sunday, November 13, 2016. Born in South Bend, Indiana in 1947, his family arrived in Houston in 1965. He graduated from Memorial High School in 1966 and attended the University of Houston and San Jacinto College.

Joe is predeceased by his grandparents and by his father, Joseph Paul Haller, Jr. He is survived by his mother, Beverly Gerding of Houston, Texas; sister, Judith Haller of Austin, Texas; brother, Richard Haller of Cypress, Texas; sister, Susan Kathryn Kucera, her husband Mark, and nephews, Daniel Joseph Kucera and Steven Richard Kucera, all of Houston, Texas.

Joe will be remembered as a colorful character, with a gift for storytelling. He was a social critic, a political debater, and an intelligent, perceptive conversationalist. His equally colorful career included stints as a longshoreman, truck driver, traffic coordinator, and delivery expert, as well as a paralegal, insurance investigator, and talented vehicle mechanic. Family, friends, and strangers were frequently blessed with expert on-the-spot car repairs or whatever help his generous spirit could provide. His soft spot for animals led to a series of rescued animals becoming treasured pets, most notably the escape artist and useless Watch Dog, Rolex.

Joe took his duties as an uncle to Daniel and Steven very seriously. Band performances, holidays, and graduations were all grounds for Uncle Joe to delight young men with clever gifts. Car troubles were occasions for fix-it lessons, turning boys into capable mechanics. For fun, there was always gun talk and marksmanship practice at the firing range.

Joe considered friendship to be a long-term commitment. He will be sorely missed by numerous life-long friends, associates, and a large extended family.

Road conditions in Houston were favorite soap-box topic of his. He would warn everyone about potholes and hazards around the city. Sadly, an erroneously marked intersection at Telge and Spring-Cypress Roads contributed to the motorcycle accident that took his life.

A Celebration of Joe's Life was held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 27, in the chapel of Waltrip Funeral Directors, 1415 Campbell Road in Houston.