Joseph Seaver Higgins

Joseph Seaver Higgins, 38, of Harwich passed away at Brigham & Women’s Hospital on November 11th after an 8 month battle with a rare form of stage 4 lung cancer. He was the beloved son of James H. & Frances L. (Kent) Higgins.

Joe was born March 16, 1978 at Cape Cod Hospital and grew up in Orleans. He was very active in Lower Cape Youth Hockey, skating with the in-house program all the way up to Varsity Hockey at Nauset Regional High School where he graduated in 1996.

Joe was an accomplished carpenter but always had an affection for the water, boats and fishing. Growing up down the street from Rock Harbor he was always down there, eventually getting his first job as a mate on the Jamie B. at age 11. Over time he worked on other charter boats eventually getting his captain’s license and buying the Madam B. in 2006. He named the boat AMBER LEE after his future wife, Amber Gill. They were married August 16, 2009 on the AMBER LEE in Cape Cod Bay.

After 8 years of chartering the AMBER LEE, he took over his brother’s commercial lobster boat, LOON CRY, out of Nauset Harbor until he was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2016.

Joe leaves behind is very devote wife, Amber, two young children, Arabella Ruth (7) and Jonah Joseph (5), his parents James H. and Frances L. Higgins, his sister Eliza S. Higgins, his maternal grandmother Mary Louise (Horton) Kent, aunts, uncles and cousins. His brother James F. Higgins predeceased Joe in 2013.

Thank you to all involved in the fundraising and support for Joe, Amber and their family throughout these difficult months. It truly meant so much to know so many people cared.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the children of Joseph Higgins at Cape Cod 5 to the Joe Higgins Memorial Fund.

A memorial visitation will be held from 11 AM to 2 PM on Sunday, November 20, 2016 at Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans, MA. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.