Joseph Kurian was born on April 10, 1941 in Johore, Malaysia, the 4th of 6 children and 2nd son to K.C. Kurian and Saramma M. Skariah. He passed away while in the care of Lake Manassas Health and Rehabilitation Center in Gainesville, Virginia on January 15, 2021 (reportedly from Covid complications although he was asymptomatic when tested positive a week prior. Due to the pandemic, his facility was on lockdown and closed to visitors from March 2020 onwards, his family was only able to see him through intermittent FaceTime calls, the last being at Christmas when he was in good spirits).
He was raised in Kerala, India where he went to school, trained as a Physical Therapist and met and married Rachel Abraham. They had one child, Manju. Leaving his family behind, he came to the United States in 1972 recruited to work at the National Orthopedic Institute in Arlington, VA. His family arrived a year later and settled in nearby Alexandria, Virginia where he lived and worked at various hospitals and his own practice for over 30 years.
An ardent gardener, who constructed his own green house, he loved to grow all manner of vegetables and herbs (including the curry leaves his wife used for cooking). Although he was not as passionate about growing flowers, he always grew jasmine for her, threading them together for her to wear in her hair in remembrance of buying them for her when he was in school in Calicut. He practiced yoga, loved going on long walks and playing soccer with his oldest grandchild. He was a founding and lifelong member of the Mar Thoma Church of Greater Washington where he attended until he was diagnosed with dementia in 2010 and went into private care. A well-seasoned traveler, he visited over 20 countries and was passionate about Chinese food and culture. Anyone who knew him well, knew that there was not a food he would not try and there was nothing too spicy for him! He loved Malayalam music especially hymns, Indian cinema, all Asian cuisine and his family who are spread over India, Malaysia, the United States and Canada. He was grateful for all the time family spent in visiting him in the various care facilities he became a resident of over the last decade. He was never forgotten, spoiled by lunches and dinners and enjoyed those visits tremendously, reminiscing about family and happy times.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother George Kurian and sister Gracy Oommen as well as brothers-in-law P.O. Oommen, A.M. Mathew, P.A. Abraham, Dr. Abraham Panackal, Dr. Thomas Philip and by his loving wife of 35 years Rachel (Rezi) when she passed too quickly away from a rare cancer in 2004.
He is survived by his brother Thomas Kurian (Valsamma Thomas and son Sibu); his sisters Licy Abraham (the late P.A. Abraham and daughters Susan and Sheeba and son Saji); Susy Mathew (the late A.M. Mathew and sons Sunil and Sujith and daughter Sunila); his sisters-in-law Mariamma George (the late George Kurian and son Sam); nephews Shaji and Shemsi Oommen; his brother-in-law Thomas Abraham (Mini and daughter Seetha and son Surya); sisters-in-law Dr. Anna Panackal (the late Dr. Abraham Panackal and sons Anil and Philip and daughter Lina); Susy Philip (the late Dr. Thomas Philip and daughter Sandhya and son Ravi) as well as cherished cousins and many grand nephews and nieces. He also leaves behind his daughter Manju, his son-in-law John Hallisey and his grandsons Joseph, Samuel and Jacob Hallisey. A virtual service will be conducted via live feed (and recorded) at Murphy Funeral Home in Arlington from 1pm to 3pm on January 30th, and his ashes will be interred in Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia next to his beloved wife Rezi.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to a scholarship fund for his grandchildren: Checks can be made out to the account’s custodian: John Hallisey, 9311 Myra Drive, Great Falls, VA 22066 with a memo note “for scholarship fund” or an electronic donation may be made via Zelle to 8135230051
Thank you.
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