Born in Parsippany, NJ, Joseph grew up with his Irish immigrant parents, Maura and Gerry Moore. Often he spoke of memories of the days spent on Alan Drive, enjoying time outside with neighbors and friends. From a young age, he was proud of his Irish heritage and looked forward to his trips to Ireland to meet family.
During summers, he loved spending his time down the Jersey Shore in Wildwood Crest – where he would go to the beach and boardwalk with his family. This last summer, he worked mornings raking the beach where he enjoyed watching the sunrise. His favorite place was the Crest Tavern to get a pint of Guinness.
Joe was known as being a hard worker, starting his professional career alongside his father at a young age. While working, he attended Morris Catholic High School and completed a degree in Industrial Technology from Montclair State University. His daughters recall the stories of him being their personal “superhero” delivering them orange sodas and diet cokes during his years working for Coca-Cola. He then started his own company called J.A.C.K Trucking- an acronym representing his four daughters. After years in construction, he became a teacher leading the Heavy Equipment Operations Program at Ocean County Vocational School where he was dedicated to his student’s success. Joe loved being a teacher as it was his life’s goal.
He always took pride in his role as a father. His love and commitment to his girls went beyond comparison. He would come to field trips even if he had to show up in his dump truck, take off work to travel across states just so he could see them, and was always the parent that would say yes because he only wanted to see them happy.
Many loved Joe and his humor. He was known to crack a joke even in the hardest of times and wanted to put a smile on everyone's faces, especially his family. Once he finally got the hang of his iPhone, he was quick to reply with witty text messages that were sure to make everyone laugh.
Joe leaves behind his wife of 25 years, Kathleen, and daughters, Colleen, Annie, Kyra and Julia. He is also survived by his siblings Mary, and her husband, Jeremiah Fealy, Margaret and her husband, Luke Suppa, and Gerard Moore and his wife, Rosemary. He was a brother-in-law to the large O’Brien Family, and was a beloved uncle to his 27 nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his visitation on Friday, April 8, 2022 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High St, Newton, NJ. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 10am at St. Joseph R.C. Church, 24 Halsted St, Newton, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Ocean County Vocational Technical School, 137 Bey Lea Road, Toms River, New Jersey 08753. Donation checks can be made out to OCVTS. All contributions will go to the HEOP program which Joe helped create.
