He was born on February 4, 1921 in Wehrum, Pennsylvania, the son of Demitrius (also known as Metro or Michael) and Julia Melko Datsko.
After graduating from high school in Ebensburg, PA, he studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. During his senior year, he met Doris Ross, a freshman who became his pen-pal when he enlisted in the US Navy after his graduation in 1943.
He served in the Navy during WWII as an Apprentice Seaman in the Seabees (Construction Battalion) at the Advanced Base Construction Depot near Pearl Harbor. With an Honorable Discharge in December 1945, he returned to civilian life as a Manufacturing Engineer in the family manufacturing plant in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.
Joe married Doris in August of 1946. Their friendship had blossomed into romance through their wartime correspondence and culminated in 63 years of marriage. After her death in 2010, Joe re-read their collection of 718 letters and felt again the amazement that she actually had fallen in love with him. He was glad to have been able to satisfy her dreams as expressed in those letters, including 87 international trips. He taught himself to type in order to transfer the correspondence into books for his children and grandchildren.
After moving his family back to Ann Arbor so that he could pursue graduate study in Metallurgy, Joe joined the Mechanical Engineering faculty as an Assistant Professor in September 1953. This marked the beginning of a 45-year career of teaching and research into the mechanical properties of metals. His research identified more than a dozen physical and mathematical relations connecting the individual mechanical properties with their processing (forming) history. His algorithms enabled engineers to employ mathematical tools where they previously had been limited to consulting tabular data in handbooks. He authored two textbooks.
His pioneering work attracted international recognition. The Japanese Society For The Promotion of Science invited Joe and Doris to spend three months as the guest of the Japanese Government at Osaka University during the 1970s so that faculty and researchers from industry could consult with him. Similarly, leading universities in Brazil and in Venezuela invited him to visit their campuses for several months in the 1980s to consult with their faculties and teach an extended course for faculty from the surrounding region. These engagements provided Joe and Doris ample opportunities to enjoy cultural experiences and scenic sites with their hosts.
Joe also was an avid member of the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society for decades. At the age of 80, he was the first member to accumulate 100,000 miles on club rides. The photo accompanying this obituary was published on the cover of a magazine after Joe had ridden his first coast-to-coast bicycle tour across America at age 72. He completed several other major cycling tours as well.
His wife Doris and granddaughter Cynthia Karafiath Drenth preceded him to heaven. He is survived by five children, six grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. His children are James Datsko of Elk Rapids, MI; Deanna (Gabor) Karafiath of Silver Springs, MD; Paula Barker Datsko of Tucson, AZ; Robert (Kathy) Datsko of Highlands Ranch, CO; and Tina (Jose) Datsko de Sanchez of Long Beach, CA. His surviving grandchildren are Stephen Karafiath; Carolyn (J) Miller; Hannah (Toby Harper) Barker; Claire (Scott Graddy) Barker; David (Kamala) Datsko; and Jon (Gwynnevere) Datsko. His great-grandchildren are Aiden and Sierra Karafiath; Benjamin and Silas Miller; Calvin and Vivian Barker-Graddy; Diccarra and Neferet Datsko; Elek, Orion, and Lukan Datsko.
In lieu of flowers, Joe requested that contributions be made in his honor to the Salvation Army - https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/
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