Rest in peace uncle Joe.

Uncle Joe passes away

Our first true memory of uncle Joe is from the day we landed in Canada on a cold December evening. Aunt Livia and uncle Joe picked us up in a Lincoln Continental. It was the biggest car we have ever seen, burgundy with a white vinyl top and it rode like we were on clouds.
We may as well have been on clouds since it was unbelievable that we made it to Canada. We made it to Canada because of Aunt Livia and uncle Joe. From then on not only did our lives change but so did Aunt Livia and uncle Joe’s.

Suddenly off the plane came two little rugrats that added a little flavour to the 100-acre farm aunt Livia and uncle Joe occupied all alone. Along with the rugrats came mom and dad and suddenly the quiet secluded farm was no longer so quiet.
Uncle Joe had an office behind the dining room and I am sure that there were many days he wished that we would be quieter and more adult-like. But we couldn’t, we were kids and on the weekends and during the summer we took over the farm. Swimming, bicycling and spending hours on end wandering the massive property.
As kids, uncle Joe and we were not close… Not because we didn’t like him or he didn’t like us but because he was not used to kids. Aunt Livia and “us kiddos” got along well. Heck to my dad’s horror aunt Livia gave my brother his first beer at the age of 10 or 11 and he has not drunk alcohol ever since.
Aunt Livia got us right from the get-go but not uncle Joe. He was distant and not fun. He was serious and we always dreaded the “how’s school going” questions on the weekends. Uncle Joe was serious and cold, to be honest for most of our childhood.
It was not until later that we got to know uncle Joe and understand him. As we got older or shall I say more mature, is when we had meaningful conversations with him. Uncle Joe was smart, educated and very accomplished in his life. With so many degrees, awards such as man of the year at Humber College.
Later on, we got to know the real uncle Joe. When we were kids he didn’t know how to relate to us but as adults he did. In many ways, he lived the American dream. He kept up to date on all the news the politics and the world economy. So once we had topics to catch up on and debate him he was engaged.
These were things that didn’t interest us as kids. However, as we got to know uncle Joe there was more to him. He seemed to soften up, or got tenderized and beaten up a little by the two rugrats over the years. He watched us grow and we watched him grow old.
This leads us to today. Uncle Joe was a character… He was smarter than most people we knew, and he was also kinder than most people even though he showed that in his way. He had a great smile and you always knew when he genuinely smiled at you that he cared deeply. As with most men, especially from his generation, showing feelings didn’t come naturally until later on in life.
We wished that this showing of feelings could have come earlier, however such is life. Uncle Joe achieved more than many of us dare to dream. It is sad that his last few years with us were in lockdown and not on the golf course as he would have preferred. If there is a golf course in heaven… Uncle Joe, you better be swinging that club every day because you deserve it. And like the cloud-like ride of the Lincoln, you picked us up with… We all hope you are at just as much peace and restfulness as we were when we landed in your care on that cold December evening. Thank you for taking care of us and taking us in.

Rest in peace uncle Joe.

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