Joseph A. Koren

KOREN Joseph A. Joseph A. Koren, 84, Birmingham East Toledo, passed away on Thursday, May 10, 2007, at Bay Park Community Hospital. Joe was born in Toledo, Ohio on April 24, 1923, to Joseph and Elizabeth (Toth) Koren. He graduated from Macomber High School where he was the first student to letter in three sports, baseball, basketball and bowling. After high school, Joe played baseball for the Chicago Cubs Farm System and was called up to play for the Major Leagues as a shortstop, when the army drafted him. He served his country with the 503rd Airborne Paratroopers where he jumped on the Islands of Mindanao and Corregidor. The jump on Corregidor was referred as one of the most daring, well planned and superbly executed operations in the annals of any army. When his officers found out about his baseball talent, they put him in charge of putting together an Army baseball team which played throughout the war. Last year, Joe was interviewed regarding his WWII experiences and the tapes were sent to the Washington Archives and the University of Toledo Library. While in the army, he painted the front of his helmet with the words "Joe Koren Toledo". His superior officers told him to take Toledo off his helmet. He told them that he was proud of his hometown and that he'd go to the guardhouse before he took it off, so, it stayed on. Joe was a sheet metal worker at American Warming and Ventilating for 17 years until they moved to Chicago. He then worked for Bingham Stamping, Baldwin Manufacturing and Peter's Stamping, retiring in 1975. He was a member of Holy Rosary Church, North American Swiss Alliance and lifelong member of the VFW Post #4906. Joe's hobbies included taping movies and working in the garden. He was a most loyal New York Yankee fan. Joe was preceded in death by his loving wife of 56 years, Ann Marie (Kralovic); his parents and his sister, Nancy Reynolds. Joe is survived by his children, Joseph (Judy), Kathleen (Bob) Shelley, Deborah (Mike) Claucherty, Jeff (Tina) and Larry (Terri); sister, Elizabeth Swanson; brother, Abel (Jeanne) Koren; 11 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; good friends, Art and Rita Periatt and everyone at the VFW-Consaul St. Visitation will be held at the Eggleston Meinert Pavley Funeral Home, Oregon Chapel, 440 S. Coy Road on Sunday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. with VFW services at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. in the funeral home on Monday with interment following in Restlawn Memorial Park. Those wishing to make an expression of sympathy in Joe's memory are asked to consider Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Joe's family would like to thank everyone at the Bay Park Community Hospital for the tender care they provided. www.egglestonmeinert.com