Joseph A. Michael

MICHAEL, Joseph Aloysius, 81, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, passed away in his beloved hometown on July 17, 2019, following a brief illness. Born in 1938, Joe was a first-generation Lebanese-American and the sixth of nine children born to David and Adele Michael. Like his siblings before him, Joe attended Saint Michael’s Catholic school in Sunset Park. He and his brother Edmond later took over his father’s luncheonette, renamed Joe & Ed’s, in downtown Brooklyn, when his parents relocated to Florida in the late 1950s. In 1968, Joe married Virginia Louise Boltizar at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights, and five years later they welcomed their only son, Joseph. Together, the couple moved to Park Slope and founded Back to the Land, a well-known natural food store on Seventh Avenue, which served the neighborhood for more than 40 years. A serial entrepreneur, Joe also ran the Gazebo, a pioneering vegetarian restaurant, for a decade, and Joseph's Cafe, both in Park Slope. In later years, he would become involved in Brooklyn real-estate development, renovating some of the borough’s finest historic brownstones and apartment buildings. Known for his big smile and generous nature, Joe enjoyed preparing meals for friends and family, mentoring young entrepreneurs, volunteering at local homeless shelters, and spending time with his son. He was a friend to everyone he met.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents David and Adele and his siblings Agnes Regesch, Edmond Michael, Mary Terceira, Gabriel Michael, Teresa Polizzi, and William Michael. He is survived by his loving son Joseph Boltizar Michael of San Francisco; his former wife Virginia Michael of Inverness, California; his sister Delores Tayoun of Philadelphia; his brother George A. Michael of West Palm Beach, Florida; and a host of nieces and nephews along with their children and grandchildren.

A viewing for friends and family will take place on Friday, July 26, 2019 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Joseph G. Duffy Funeral Home, located at 255 9th Street in Brooklyn. On Saturday, July 27, 2019, at 10 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial, officiated by Father Larry Ryan, will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, located at 245 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to CHIPS, a soup kitchen and homeless shelter that has been serving Brooklyn’s needy since 1971; chipsonline.org.