Gerald Joseph

Joseph, Gerald Edwin, age 72, of Kettering, Ohio, died Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at Hospice of Dayton with his family at his side. Born March 6, 1937 in Dover, Ohio, the youngest son of Leo and Louise (Bringardner) Joseph, Jerry was a graduate of Greenbrier High School in Ronceverte, West Virginia and of the University of Dayton. He was owner emeritus of Irongate Realty, having practiced real estate in the Dayton area for over 43 years, and was one of the owners of Irongate Realty for 31 years. He was well-known for his honesty and integrity in the field of real estate and was a member of the Dayton Area Board of Realtors (DABR), NCR Country Club, and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Jerry received many sales honors while working in real estate, including being voted Sales Associate of the Year by the DABR in 1973. He was a member of the Million Dollar Club and was one of the top 10 sales leaders in the Dayton area for many years. Jerry was a proud supporter of Alter High School, from which all five of his children graduated, and was one of the founders of the Alter High School Labor Day Festival. He was also one of the Flyer Faithful, supporting UD basketball, while never wavering from his West Virginian loyalties. Watching his grandchildren compete in various sporting events was one of his greatest joys. Jerry was also an avid golfer; a hole-in-one on the 13th hole on the NCR North Course on June 25, 1997 marked the highlight of his very amateur golfing career. Euchre was another of his passions, and he passed his love of the game on to his children and grandchildren. Legend has it that Jerry has never been euchred.
Gerald was preceded in death by his parents Leo and Louise (Bringardner) Joseph and his daughter-in-law Susan (Evans) Joseph. He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Deanne (Weigle), whom he met at the University of Dayton and married in 1959. He was a proud father to sons Stephen (Lynda), Christopher, Michael (Stacey), all of Dayton, and to daughters Jennifer Roach (Daniel) and Jill Skladany (Michael), both of Loveland, Ohio; grandchildren Katherine, Matthew, and Robert Joseph; Michael, Kellie, Benjamin, and Andrew Joseph; Zachary, David, and Stephanie Joseph; Brenna, Daniel, and Connor Roach; Brooke and Tatum Skladany. He is also survived by his older brother Eugene, of Hawaii. Jerry's life was filled with the love of his family and of his many, many friends, who will sorely miss his silver hair, sense of humor, and friendship. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Noon on Monday, April 13, 2009 at St. Charles Catholic Church in Kettering. The family will receive friends from 10-12 in the St. Charles Church atrium preceding the Mass. There will be a private burial ceremony on Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made in his name to the Archbishop Alter Capital Campaign, 940 East David Road, Kettering, Ohio 45429. This fund is in the care of the Dayton Foundation. The Joseph family would like to thank Hospice; Drs. Steven Robbe, Mark Romer, Doug Ditzel, and their staffs for their compassionate care over the past months