Jeremiah Joseph Fereday

As the family patriarch, Joe’s life was a stunning example of unshakable faith and devotion to family. When his mother died two weeks after his birth, he was embraced and raised by his grandmother and aunt in Carnegie, Pa. As a child of The Great Depression, there were freezing winters and times of scarcity. During this time the family bonded and shared what little they had with family and strangers. This early adversity equipped him to persevere throughout his long life.

He was an avid reader and excellent student who excelled in math, and had an uncanny ability to remember historical facts and figures. As a college student, he attended classes at night while working at a local steel plant. He earned an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University, and an engineering degree from Carnegie Tech.

In 1957 he married Gladys Kroboth in Mt. Lebanon, Pa. During a marriage that spanned more than six decades, they raised a family of nine children. His career as an industrial engineer took the family to West Virginia, Ohio, California, and finally, to Baton Rouge in 1970, where he worked at Kaiser Aluminum in Gramercy until retirement. Following the death of his grandmother, he remained devoted to the aunt who raised him. He brought her to live near his family, and visited her every evening after work for more than 15 years.

Joe had a biting wit and a love of comedy, including the antics of The Three Stooges. His musical taste ranged from opera to the Grand Ole Opry. He enjoyed the music of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and everything in between. His adventurous spirit often led to family day trips, detours, camping, and exploring historical sights and museums. Many weekends were spent at the family property in Pike County, Ms. running the tractor and tending the orchard.

He was a devout Catholic who honored the Lord. He and Gladys were members of St. Thomas More Church since 1970, where they participated in eucharistic adoration and rosary groups. In retirement, they enjoyed international travel, with religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Medjugorje, Fatima, and the Vatican.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys, his father, Charles, his mother, Marie, his grandmother, Teresa, his aunt, Mary, and his brother, Chod. He is survived by his half-brother, Damian, cousins, children and their spouses: Joe (Lori), Jim (Lani), John, Jacquie (Doug), Jean, Kass (Ken), Mike (Tammy), Tom (Laura), and Tress (Kenny). He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Heart of Hospice and Joe’s caregivers Brenda, Nina, and Bonnie.

Visitation is Thursday, May 19 at 10 a.m. at Greenoaks Funeral Home. A funeral mass will occur at noon at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11441 Goodwood Blvd. Committal at Greenoaks following.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Heart of Hospice (www.heartofhospice.net), Fraternal Order of Police Foundation (www.fop.net), and Catholic Charities Diocese of Baton Rouge (www.ccdiobr.org).