December 25, 1953 - September 30, 2025

Joe was born in Acton, Ontario to courageous Dutch immigrant parents on Christmas Day in 1953, and grew up in Habitant/Canning, Nova Scotia until he was 10 years old. Then his family of seven brothers and four sisters moved to St. Catharines, Ontario.

He loved the outdoors and shared his love for life. As a young man he taught Cadets (church boys club) and led young peoples, making deep lifelong friendships. He spent a few years in college in the US, then worked as a bricklayer's helper back home.

He joined with the Sinke family November 25, 1977, when he married Marg and gained two sisters and a brother. He went to work with IBG as a foreman, building greenhouses across Canada - from Truro, NS, to Chilliwack, BC.

After his two amazing daughters, Julie and Sandy, were born, he began his career with the St. Catharines Fire Department, where he gained many many more brothers and sisters. He retired in 2013 after a fulfilling 31 years. Throughout this time, he had a thriving deck and reno side business, spent holidays camping and fishing with family. Marg and Joe built two houses from the ground up, with friends and family members ‘volunteering’ countless hours.

Moving to Thunder Bay, ON and living on 50 acres gave Joe the chance to spend time in the bush with his dog Riley. In TBay, he made more deep friendships.

As circumstances changed, he moved to a quieter life in Brookside, NS, where he was led to a new church family. While physical changes kept from doing much, new friends were made.

Joe loved kids. He loved watching his own grow up, and being around his many nieces and nephews, talking and laughing with them, and helping them as they grew into young adults. He loved showing little ones around the fire hall. His greatest love and pride are his four grandchildren, Logan, Madison, Eva and Colton, who will greatly miss their grandpa, grampy, and pa.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die,

A time to weep and a time to laugh,

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2a, 4

He is forever home.