In the last decade of the last century, Joe changed many more lives than he ever knew.  During those years, Donna and I were advocates for families with children with disabilities, something we couldn't have done without Joe's yeoman support.  Donna missed work, Joe supported her.  We would travel the hinterlands of New Jersey for long meetings with groups of parents, training them to stand up for their children, who, quite frankly, were being shafted, pushed to the backwaters of education.  And when those meetings were done, we would have to fight our way through the parking lot because the parents were desparate for someone, anyone, to talk to them, understand them, and help them.  Getting home at nine or ten was an early night.  Joe would cook dinner, or fire up the barbeque, or do many other tasks that Donna never asked him to do.  The parents would find out where Donna lived and show up at her door at all hours, and Joe would welcome them in.  Because of that support, Joe made it possible for Donna and I to do what we had to do.  Hundreds of families and more importantly, hundreds of children with developmental, emotional, learning, and behavioral differences got a fair shake and the respect they deserved.  We won a statewide award for what we did, but Donna and I gave the credit to our spouses.  One other story.  Christmas....1998 I think...Donna and kids arrive for Christmas dinner at our house.  About ten minutes later, my four boys with autism are surprised by a knock at the door.  Santa.  Joe.  Magic!  They will never forget him.

My traffic cone adventure: Joe was driving back to New Jersey. I made the mistake of falling asleep in the passenger seat. Out of a deep sleep I was awakened to a giant orange thing coming at my head with Joe laughing in the background.

Joe and I refused to retire from Sunday morning fraternity football. We played with kids up to ten years younger than us. We would forget our aches and pains with a beer and burger after the games as we watched the NFL football games.

Winter-Ice skating at Warinanco/South Mountain.
Spring-Back to the tennis court.

Joe was always one who greeted you with a smile and you knew he was genuinely happy to see you.

There was one person I looked up to and respected all through college. It was Joe.

My condolences to the family. So many more memories. I will never lose them.

Rest well my friend.

Hi Joe (Smokin Joe, The Glue),

We did have a lot of fun while working together at TransNet.  Even though I was a little disappointed at the beginning to find out that you were a Dodger fan, I knew you were a great guy from the beginning.  We had a lot of laughs especially when Manny was on vacation and we switched the numbers and letters on his keyboard.  We were roaring hysterically watching him get mad trying to input that day!  Also when the others were on vacation we would move their desks and hoist it into the warehouse racks.  Or shrink wrapping a co-workers car, or placing bags of the shipping peanuts at their desks or office (mine!), playing tapeball in the warehouse and getting caught in the act when the president of the company came back and saw us!  I think the funniest time was when Manny retired and we kept sending stuff to his house, even when we cleared out the location in Mountainside and loaded the stuff on his front steps!!!  I enjoyed talking to you the most, especially about our North Carolina vacations.  Of course you would always laugh when I would do a Howard Cosell "Down goes Festa, Down goes Festa".  It was great to have you here at Adept too.  I keep asking myself why you left us all so early, and the only conclusion I get is that God needed you in Heaven to touch everyone up there as you touched everyone down here.  You will be missed.