Fairport March 28, 2021
Born in Buffalo, NY, Joseph “Joe” F. Szczepanik was the oldest of four children, Annette, Marcia and Thomas. His mother, Helen and father Joseph were born in Poland but met in the United States. After the passing of his father, Joe helped support and raise his youngest siblings, Marcia and Tom.
Joe attended Canisius High School and Canisius College in Buffalo where he received both his bachelors and masters degrees in Physics. After graduation, Joe served in the US Army and was stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia from 1966 to 1968. Although it was during the Vietnam War, Joe was not deployed.
Joe was hired at Xerox as a physicist. He met his wife, Rose Ann in 1968 and they married on November 21, 1970. Shortly afterwards, Joe and Rose Ann purchased their home in Fairport. They settled in Fairport where they raised their children, Michael and Carol.
Joe was an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills. Most Sunday afternoons in the Fall, Joe could be found in his seats in Orchard Park cheering on his beloved Bills, or pacing in front of the TV watching them.
Joe had a passion for traveling and during the summers from 1984 to 1989, Joe and Rose Ann took their children on long trips across the country and Canada. During that time, the Szczepanik family visited 49 US states and many of the Canadian Provinces. Joe enjoyed planning, travelling and documenting the family trips through photographs and journals. Joe and Rose Ann continued traveling without the kids to Alaska, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Egypt.
In 1999, Joe and Rose Ann built their dream house, complete with areas for two of his other hobbies, model trains and movies. Joe spent a lot of time with his granddaughters, Rose Marie and Mya, working on his model train room. He also loved to impress his friends and family with in-home movie theatre. He also loved to entertain family and friends in their new home, especially at their annual holiday party.
Joe will be remembered as a kind and gentle man, who enjoyed making others laugh, especially his grandsons, Evan and Sebastian. Joe was a loving protector and provider for his wife and his family’s biggest supporter. He will be missed.
Calling Hours Wednesday, 11 AM at St. John of Rochester Church followed by a Funeral Mass at 12 Noon. It may also be held live stream at www.stjohnfairport.org
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association in his memory. https://www.alz.org/
Comments
8 responses to “Szczepanik, Joseph F.”
Susan just called me to tell me of Joe’s passing. I am so very sorry for your loss. He was such a nice man and will be missed by all.
So sorry for your loss.
Dave and I are in Florida and just read of Joe’s passing. We are so sorry. Please express our sympathy to your family.
So sorry for your loss. We have great memories of times
spent with Joe and Rose Ann such as social events and trips
abroad. He will be greatly missed. Joe was very special.
Jane and Fred
This is a loss of a good family man, a smart employee who thrived at Xerox while the company soared, a lover of travel and photos which surrounded him to stay connected to those adventures, and a guy who could elevate a conversation. While Rose Ann was a member of our Fairport Area Branch of AAUW Joe also supported our meetings and social events, diving right into the discussion topics and leaving attendees with a smile at one of his whimsical comments. I have such good memories of time with Rose Ann and Joe and mourn his passing.
So very sorry to hear of Cousin Joe’s passing. He is remembered as a strong and loving son to his mother and loving brother to his younger siblings. Joe was a very intelligent and hard working man who did his very best to take care of his family and loved ones. He always had a warm smile and a ready laugh and enjoyed getting together with extended family. Our condolences and prayers go out to Rosanne and his children and grandchildren as well as Marcia and Tommy. You are on our minds and in our hearts.
My condolences to the family of cousin Joe. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know he is celebrating up in heaven with all our other angels who have passed n is waiting for all of us someday. I remember the Christmas card he sent to every family telling us about all the adventures the family did that year . He will be truly missed. My Love to Roseann n his kids n grand baby’s . So sorry ?????❤️?❤️?
So sorry for your loss. I worked with Rose Ann at Chestnut Ridge School for many years and met your father a few times.