Joseph Adam Piacquad

PIACQUAD, Joseph Adam A labor and employment lawyer, died on June 27 at Country Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center from brain cancer. He was 50 and lived with his family in Newburyport. Joe was born in Hackensack, NJ, spent his early years in Maywood, NJ, and then moved with his family to Devon, PA, Hudson, OH, and Galesburg, IL. He attended boarding school at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH and college at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude. After college, he worked for a few years at Roadway Trucking Company as a loading dock foreman. He felt confident about his employment prospects with Roadway when the interviewer said to him upon meeting, "Oh, good, you're husky." From Roadway, he went on to the Harvard Law School and received his J.D. with honor. Joe pursued his interest in labor and employment law first with Jones, Day, LLP. in Cleveland, OH and then with Goodwin, Procter, LLP in Boston where he became a partner. Once described as a "prince among men" by one of his best friends, Joe is remembered for his exceptional intellect, dry wit, and devotion to family and friends. Sports, politics, poker, history and cooking were among his myriad interests. Joe is survived by his wife, Martha E. Leen, and their three children, Isabella Mary, Henry (Harry) Alfonso, and Lila Moore, as well as his beloved dog, Goodwin. He also leaves his siblings, Maria Malone and her husband Randy of Edmond, OK, Susan Mondello and her husband Joseph of Atlanta, GA, David Piacquad and his wife Nina of Thousand Oaks, CA, and Robert Piacquad of Atlanta, GA, as well as his wife's family, many nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins, close friends and colleagues. He was predeceased by his parents, Mary Anna Picchi Piacquad and Alfonso J. Piacquad. His loss to all is profound. Friends are invited to a gathering honoring Joe on Tuesday, July 5 from 5-9. p.m. at Nicholson Hall, 7 Harris Street, Newburyport. His funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, Green Street, Newburyport. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Joe's memory in support of brain tumor research to Massachusetts General Hospital, c/o Development Office, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114. Arrangements are by Elliott, Woodworth & Rogers Family Funeral Home, 35 Green Street, Newburyport.