Out of the Blue, the Auburn Blue… there was Joe!

In my life, Joe came out of nowhere, and, seemingly, at just the right moment, with that big grin and welcoming smile, sharp, witty mind, confident voice… and a thoughtful, timely, and yes, sometimes a sarcastically framed answer for everything. He was kind, warm, welcoming, neighborly, genuine, and he was inclusive… though, he would never suffer fools lightly. He was ever respectful, thoughtful, and filled with enthusiasm, decency, integrity, dedication, humanity and love. He was, in my estimation, goodness defined. He was, in my experience, life shaping.

Joe and I met at Auburn University, September 4th, 1978 at 8:00AM. I remember it as if it was yesterday… I remember because for both of us it was our very first college class, and to a shy and unsure foreign student, on my second day in the U.S., Joe made me feel like I belonged, and the journey was going to be alright, and that while I was an ocean away from my blood family… I had family right there, right then. And Joe, along with Mom Reynolds, were relentless in making me feel welcome and a part of the American life, the American family, I was to embrace.

Joe, as most of you know, was… well… no Ordinary Joe. He was bright, he was clever, he was witty, he was, you might say, smarter than your Average Joe. And, if you ever wanted to know where True North was, all you had to do was glance at Joe's Moral Compass.

Outside of his brilliant academics and his significant contribution to our country in his dedicated career, to me Joe's real genius was in always being prepared for the path ahead. If it seemed he always knew the answer, and knew it first and knew it with certainty, it was because Joe had the knack of preparing well ahead for questions yet to be asked.

Safe to say, Joe was my first classmate in America, but he was to become my most trusted and dearest of friends. In so many facets of my life, Joe was to show me the way… the right way, and, while he might not have known it, he would genuinely become the most significant point of reference in my adult life.

Joe was always available, he listened well, always had an encouraging word and logical input to everything, and… he enjoyed measured fun. He was inspirational in his approach, and in that way he became an essential piece in the puzzle of my life. For my American journey, it has always felt good knowing I had as my guide, my mentor, the measure of my American Dream… my dear friend, Joe.

When Joe met Karis, Joe developed an even stronger, more confident identity. And in true Joe-form they set the bar for what love and family should look like. I always saw Joe and Karis as one. Together, they represented what partnership in marriage is all about… and they made three smart, wonderful, beautiful, independent children in Lucy, Alison and Hope. Joe’s family fulfilled him, and as a result he lived life so freely, so joyously, so confidently, so fearlessly… he lived “the good life”.

Once Joe got in your head, in your heart, in your life, he never left. After college, we saw less of each other, due mainly to distance and careers. We would meet at the family beach outings, and at the occasional Auburn ballgame, or sometimes on our travels… but he was always here (head)… and here ❤️. And the next phone call would always make it seem like no time or distance, at all, had ever passed between us.

I may not have verbalized it over the many years, but the past weeks of reflection certainly make me feel - it was as if he had been sent.

Joe was a brother to me, my American role model. In the way he led his life, he has been my inspiration. His manner of positively impacting the confidence and direction of others, will serve as my aspiration.

Whatever Joe was to me, I know it just scratches the surface of what he meant to so many others.

Joe may be gone from our physical lives but he will always vividly remain in our hearts and minds. The memories will never fade… and his special stamp of goodness will forever be paid forward by everyone he had ever met and affected with that infectious smile, cheerful voice, good heart, thoughtful presence, bright mind, infinite wisdom.

After the long silence of grief has passed, we will all continue to hear his voice as he answers the question I so often ask, "what would Joe do?"

Rest in peace, Joe… see you in our constant thoughts.
André

I had the honor of working with Joe for 6 years. When I joined the organization and met Joe for the first time, he assured me that he would teach me everything I would need to know. At first, I thought wow this is a bold statement to make but as everyone quickly learned, he did what he said. Joe was a tremendous help to me with advice which was sometimes snarky but always had truth to those comments. My apologies to former colleagues but Joe was always the smartest guy in the room where everyone turned to him for advice. 

We held a happy hour get together to celebrate the memory of Joe. What struck me on this occasion was the diversity of people who were touched by Joe’s kindness and generosity. We shared many stories filled with joy and sadness. Joe was with us that day which can be confirmed by anyone who attended.

I was fortunate to attend the Celebration of Life on February 18. The remembrances were wonderful where I learned so much more about Joe. Brother Bill talking about a young mischievous Joe while they were growing up. College friend Andre telling the story of Joe immediately accepting and friending Andre who was a foreign student new to the US. Brother-in-law Peter channeled Joe with ChatGPT. I could hear Joe saying those same words. We all knew how much his daughters meant to Joe but to hear the stories from Alison were wonderful. Wife (Peter’s sister) Karis brought both laughter and tears. It was a heartfelt testimony to a great man. I want to thank the Reynolds family for allowing us to attend their Celebration of Life ceremony. It doesn’t fill the hole that Joe’s loss left but it certainly helped.

I had the great good fortune to work closely with Joe for a number of years. His consummate professionalism made him an exceptional colleague while his warmth, humor, and caring made him a trusted and wonderful friend.  I miss him greatly, but am so happy to have known him. 

I will miss Joe. He was a great colleague, friend and mentor who helped me in innumerable ways. I remember fondly our opportunistic heart-to-hearts as we shared our respective career transitions and will cherish the insights and advice he offered to me. It is incredibly rare to find someone with high IQ and high EQ. Joe had both in abundance.

I was fortunate to know and work with Joe throughout the years. He had a huge impact on me both professionally and personally. He was my most trusted advisor when we worked together guiding me through the organization and the technologies. We became really good friends afterwards, always keeping in touch on what was going on both professionally and personally.

Joe was always that person you could count on/ call on for advice and help. He was the person we thought about when we needed to phone a friend. I am grateful for Joe’s friendship and miss him a lot.

I am grateful I had the chance to work with Joe at our beloved neighborhood pool. He was always so reassuring and kind and set the gold standard for what it means to be a community volunteer. Two examples of Joe's generosity of spirit will always come to mind when I think of him. 

The first is when I started as board president and noticed his email on the board listserv. When I asked him if he'd like for me to take him off, saving him from countless messages, he responded, 'nah, seeing what the board is concerned about helps me to know what needs to get done.' And then he would always do it - never needing to be asked.

The second is when we ordered a new playset for the pool. When it arrived, we scrambled to get a team of people to build what had to be the most complicated playset assembly ever! During the time we begged for volunteers, I started to notice the playset coming together seemingly all on its own. Week by week, bits of progress were being made, and no one knew how. Later on, we finally found out what now seems to be inevitable. It was Joe. Joe, who was at the pool cutting the grass during his free time, would stop and work on it, and no one was the wiser. Probably in a button-down shirt, a wide-brimmed hat, and a smile on his face.

Joe was kind, steady, caring, humble, wickedly smart, and very funny. When I conjure an image of Joe in my mind, he always has that wry little smile on his face that I loved so much. Being around Joe was a joy. Our world is less bright without him.

I had only a brief encounter with Joe, who helped create a hybrid Zoom when I gave a talk at TPPC a year ago. Joe was so kind and patient that I described him to Diane Curran as "the nicest man in the world," and so competent with the tech that this was the only hybrid Zoom I've done that has worked 100% smoothly. What an incredible loss to his family, his friends, and our world.

I picture my wife's Uncle Joe wearing a long sleeve, collared, button down shirt at the beach on a hot day. We miss him.

Joe was an outstanding colleague and always a good friend. He was quick to help out, quick to solve a problem and quick with a smile. My thoughts are with Karis, their daughters and all who shared time with Joe - his passing is a tremendous loss.

Joe was the best of friends. So many high points of my life have been spent with Joe, Karis, and their extended family. I will be forever grateful for their friendship.

I am very saddened to learn Joe is no longer with us, he was a great mentor and always kind. He had the ability to take apart the most complex problems very calmly and always took the time to teach and mentor others leaving a positive impact in everyone he engaged with. I pray for his family and his loved ones in this devasting time.

Joe was a colleague to start, but that quickly became a twenty year trusted and close friendship. Aside from his numerous professional impacts that made us all safer, I am one of many who was so positively impacted and fortunate to have had him a part of my life.

When I think of Joe, he is always smiling.

For me, Joe was first and foremost a wonderful friend, and I was so lucky that he then became my brother-in-law!