Joseph T. Garibaldi

He is predeceased by his father, Louis Anthony Garibaldi, Jr. He is survived by his beloved daughter, Nicole Gianna Garibaldi and her mother, Phaedra Boer Garibaldi; his beloved mother and best friend, Noreen Windeatt Garibaldi; his only sibling and sister, Maureen G. McKelvey and her husband, Jay Bruce McKelvey, Jr. and their sons, Dylan and Grant; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, family members and friends who all loved him.

Joe began his successful professional business career with Acme Paper and Supply Company in 1990-1994 as a Chemical Sales Specialist in MD. Joe also had a number of Senior Management positions that he was promoted to at Encore Paper Company, SCA Tissue, N.A. and Essity North America, Inc. from 1994 to present. In his latest position, Joe was a National Key Account Manager for Essity North America, Inc. in the Professional Hygiene Division and had responsibilities for the Executive Management relationship of a multi-million-dollar national customer with locations throughout the US as well as responsibilities for various global initiatives and projects.

To know Joe was to understand that he loved spending time with his family and friends. Whether it was gathering for the holidays, summer pool parties and BBQs, playing soccer or just spending time together, he loved laughing and joke telling and making sure that everyone was happy and having a great time. He also enjoyed watching his nephews, Dylan and Grant, and his daughter Nicole in their many endeavors and sporting events.

Joe was also a huge sports fan and an amazing athlete who was always either playing or watching. His passion for soccer started at a young age as a part of the Toms River soccer leagues. After that there was no stopping him. He continued playing soccer throughout elementary and middle school and earned numerous awards and honors while in high school playing for Toms River HS North and Toms River HS East. From there he went on to play D1 soccer at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and ultimately turned to play professionally after graduation with the Milwaukee Wave of the American Indoor Soccer Association. Twice during his professional career, he was called up to try out for the US Men’s World Cup Team, which in itself is an honor. Joe was also an avid racquetball player and continued playing soccer and was proud to be a part of many great teams throughout his 30s-50s. Most recently Joe was playing in the “50 and Over” tournaments.

The greatest love and source of pride in his life was his daughter, Nicole. They shared a beautiful and special father/daughter bond that was indescribable. They also shared a love of sports. Nicole followed in her father’s footsteps, playing soccer at a young age for many years before switching over to field hockey. No matter how busy Joe was, he never missed a game. He wore his many Highlands field hockey shirts with pride and joy every opportunity he got and not just on game day! He was easily spotted in the stands, as he was the Dad filming each game to later break down the game and review it with Nicole. Time spent in the car, over FaceTime and on the phone imparted many amazing words of wisdom, encouragement and life lessons that Nicole will always carry with her. Joe made sure that every conversation ended with Nicole knowing how much he loved her.

Joe always brought a high level of drive and a winning attitude to everything he did. He also enjoyed the beach, fishing and playing cards and board games with his family. He was an extraordinary person that left the world a better place with his laughter, smile and willingness to step up, guide and support the people that he came in contact with throughout the entirety of his life.

There are no services planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to a favorite charity or the following charities he supports:

Marine Raider Foundation (www.seasidesemperfive.org)

The Polar Bear Plunge on behalf of The Special Olympics of New Jersey (www.plungeseaside.org)