Joseph Rademacher

A Candle Lit

A candle lit signifies an

everlasting love.

an eternal flame from

the heavens above.

a light that shines and

directs our way.

lie a lighthouse guding a

distressed ship from the raging

seas, into the tender arms

of a tranquil bay.

its flame is ever so powerful

as it flickers amongst the dark

giving hope to all that see it

as they journey through life,

ignited from just a single spark.

for whomever lights a candle

within their humble abode

will have comfort, warmth and know

that when their eyes touch

upon it, and feel it in their souls

they’ll know the importance of it,

as it casts its everlasting glow.

-Joe Rademacher

Joe Rademacher was a remarkable man, a man full of creativity and compassion, of character and charisma. He was a man of so many gifts, a poet and painter, a musician and artist, a mason and trucker. Most of all, Joe was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend, whose love and life echoes on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Joe’s story began on a cool fall day in 1957, as the trees had gone bare in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those were turbulent times in this country, which was battling the Cold War and the Space Race with Russia, and racial tensions mounted here at home. Yet on November 7, 1957, Thomas and Patricia (Bechtold) Rademacher found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Joseph Jude.

Joe was the third of six children in the family’s home, joining his older brothers Tom and Dan, and younger siblings Mary, Molly and Matt. Joe’s dad worked as a chemical salesman, while his mother was a teacher, in addition to caring for her own children.

Joe and his siblings were raised in the Catholic faith, and attended parochial schools as a result. Joe attended St. James Catholic School as a young boy, before heading off to West Catholic High School in 1971.

Joe’s diverse talent base shone brightly at West Catholic, where he was very active in sports, playing football, baseball (his favorite) and he was on the swimming team which won the Grand Rapids City title. Joe was also blessed with a beautiful singing voice and was a member of the school Madrigals, the elite vocal troupe which toured and sang in Italy his senior year.

Joe always loved music and was blessed with a natural gift. He taught himself to play the piano at 16, and eventually began delighting his family with the sounds of Chopin, Debussy and other classical composers. He was also self-taught on the guitar and loved to break into his favorite Elvis impression, strumming and singing just like The King, complete with gyrations!

Joe and his family did much together through the years, and they had so many fond memories of their summer vacations in Grand Haven, from traversing Five Mile Hill to fishing off the pier and swimming in the Big Lake.

After he graduated in 1975, Joe took some classes at Grand Rapids Junior College for a time, before finding full-time work as a brick mason. After several years working as a mason, Joe began working for Domtar, a paper supplier. It was a good job, where Joe would remain for nearly a decade.

Joe’s personal life began to bloom, as well, and he became a father to fine sons, Stephen and Ryan. He was an enormously proud papa, and his boys were the joy of his life. His marriage with their mother didn’t last, but they maintained a cordial relationship and he would remain a loving father to his sons all of his life.

Joe left Domtar after 10 years with the company, and bounced around a bit, taking some short-term jobs. Eventually he found a job he loved, working as a truck driver for Serve-U-Success, where he remained the rest of his career.

Joe also found the love of his life, as well. On June 5, 1998, Joe had a Friday night out at Adrian’s Ramona Terrace in Walker, when he spotted a beautiful woman sitting at a table with some friends. Her name was Billie, and she’d just gone to see ‘Titanic’ in the theater with her friend. After she agreed to dance with Joe, he felt like the ‘king of the world!’ The sparks flew between them, and they quickly began dating and fell in love.

The couple dated a year and a half, and was married in a civil ceremony on October 16, 1999. The newlyweds went on a Caribbean cruise for their honeymoon the following April and settled into their new life together.

Both Joe and Billie brought children into the marriage and the blended family became close. Joe had a way of bringing people together, a fun-loving husband, father and friend. He was also a great cook, and his steaks were simply sensational. Joe often called his mom on the phone for the recipes he remembered so well from his youth.

Joe and Billie shared a beautiful marriage together and did much as a couple, too. He was a very romantic, sentimental man, and they loved taking weekend jaunts together to the Upper Peninsula, or over to Wisconsin, usually playing golf together. They also enjoyed gardening, which Joe learned to love later in life. He planted an army of perennials in their backyard and built a huge squirrel feeder, too. Joe never grew up around animals but came to love the squirrels and birds, as well as Billie’s beloved cat, Buttercup.

Joe had many hobbies of his own and found many outlets for his incredible creativity. He enjoyed drawing in charcoal, and drew beautiful portraits of friends and family. He also painted in acrylics. He loved to golf, watch the Detroit Lions and Tigers, and collected shot glasses for fun, a “regular guy” if there ever was one.

Joe was also a wonderful poet, whose romanticism and sentimentality shone through in the poems he wrote. “Your mate is your strength,” he once wrote, “who acts like a lighthouse for a ship gone astray. So blow, winds, blow, and send her back home, and when she arrives, I will again feel whole.”

Later in life, Joe began battling his share of health problems as the years took their toll. Joe suffered neuropathy in his feet, due to back trouble, had some coronary issues, too, and needed a catheterization in December of 2007. In the summer of 2008, Joe passed a stress test, and was given an encouraging report. Sadly, he was stricken at home on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 and died at St. Mary’s Hospital. He was 50.

Joe was a remarkable man, so full of creativity and compassion, of character and charisma. He was a poet and painter, a musician and artist, a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. “So blow, winds, blow, and send her back home,” he once wrote, “and I will again feel whole.” More than anything, Joe was a man who made us feel loved, and made us feel whole. He will be so greatly missed.

Joe re-joined with his father, Thomas, who passed 12 years earlier. He leaves behind to both grieve and celebrate his life his mother Patricia, wife Billie, sons Stephen and Ryan; two sisters, Mary and Molly (Bill) Virkstis; three brothers, Tom (Hollie), Dan and Matt (Doreen); stepsons Joel and Jody Huhtala, Anthony Ten Hoor; and many nieces and nephews. Services for Joe will be held Saturday at 11AM at Heritage Lifestory Funeral Homes – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr NW with interment in Resurrection Cemetery. Friends may meet the family on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9PM and on Saturday for one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions to the charity of one’s choice would be appreciated. You may sign the online guestbook or share a memory or photo of Joe by visiting www.lifestorynet.com.

My Strength

When the one you love is

gone from your side

there is only emptiness in your

soul like the sound of the tide

brushing its brows against the shore

you feel helpless, lonely and

very unsure

your mate is your strength

who holds your hand

gives you peace and comfort

helps you walk through

the sand

to see new horizons each

and every day

and acts like a lighthouse for a ship that’s gone astray

so blow winds blow and

send her back home

and when she arrives

I will again feel whole

- Joe Rademacher