Joseph Michael "Joe" Gratton

Joseph Michael (Joe) Gratton, 66, died Wednesday, April 13, 2011, after a brief illness. Although brokenhearted, we are grateful for the blessings, love and joy that Joe brought to our lives and treasure the time we were able to spend with him at the hospital the past two weeks. Services will be at Risen Christ Catholic Church at 11511 Lake Hazel Road on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at 4 p.m. A private family inurnment will be held at a later date.
Son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend, teacher, mentor, coach - Joe cared deeply about others and made friends wherever he went. He was loved by many and will be remembered fondly for the way he enjoyed serving others and caring for those he loved - from keeping gas in his wife's car, to taking lunch to his son at work, mailing overflowing care packages to his daughter at college or caring for his precious grandson, Diego, who brought great love and joy to the last year of Joe's life. Joe wasn't afraid of being silly or of laughing and joking, especially with his children and grandson. Joe loved reading with all three of them, even when they were very young, and was so proud of them. Joe treasured family and friends, and he also treasured his faith in God and the many wonderful members of Risen Christ Parish.
Born in Emmett, Idaho, on May 14, 1944, to Connie (Beitia) and Earl Gratton, Joe enjoyed fishing and camping trips with his family and loved hunting for deer, pheasant, duck and geese with his dad and brothers. Many times they would race out of town right after school to do some hunting before dinner. Joe was active at Emmett High School serving as senior class president, participating in the drama department and lettering in athletics. He played basketball and football for the Emmett Huskies and football for Boise Junior College (now BSU) and College of Idaho. In recent years, he was very proud to have been a part of the building blocks of Bronco Nation's football program.
Joe was a dedicated educator who taught subjects including English, journalism, drama, speech, debate and photography. His career took him from Payette High School, to his alma mater in Emmett, then to Capital, Borah and finally, Nampa High Schools. He was proud of his students, many of whom won awards and competitions in journalism and theater, but even the smallest bit of progress or achievement on the part of any one of his students delighted him. He loved teaching and took great joy in inspiring students with favorite works like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Inherit the Wind." He also took joy in coaching football and track and was especially proud of his Capital High School girls track teams who were state champions in 1976 and 1981. He valued students deeply over the years, took great interest in them, treasured the funny moments they shared and honored their dedication and diligence. He loved watching them grow and excel in the classroom, on the stage or on the field.
Joe is mentioned in numerous editions of "Who's Who Among America's High School Teachers." In 2006 he was named Nampa High School Teacher of the Year as well as Nampa School District Secondary Teacher of the Year. He was honored again in his final year of teaching as Nampa High School Teacher of the Year.
Ever organized and eager, Joe would rise sometimes as early as 2 a.m. and go to school to work in the quiet of the morning. When computers became a part of the educational landscape in the 1990s, Joe embraced the new technology with fervor, building a small computer lab in his classroom out of machines that he refurbished himself. He loved what he did, cherishing relationships with students and many wonderful colleagues and chose to continue teaching until last spring when he retired after 43 years in education.
Outside the classroom, Joe enjoyed making "house calls" to friends and relatives in need of a technology tune up. Another hobby that brought him joy was his passion for fishing, especially on the Boise River. He gleefully found "sweet spots" where he had quite a bit of luck using nothing more than worms on his hook, much to the chagrin of other anglers with more sophisticated bait. This past Christmas Day, Joe was proud to provide frozen trout as a stocking stuffer for everyone at the large family gathering.
We are so proud of you, Joe. Thank you for all the good times, lessons learned and wonderful memories. We will always remember how we laughed together and although you have left us behind, your spirit and love are with us now. We love you to the moon and back.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Gary; aunt, Tia Dora (Beitia Madrietta) Fischer; and sister-in-law, Cat Bell.
He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; daughter, Joie (Vinnie); and grandson, Diego Cariaga; son, Ryan Gratton; brother, Johnny (Penny) Gratton; father and mother-in-law, John and Lillian Ballard who loved him as their son; brothers-in law, Brian (Karen) Ballard, David (Natalie) Ballard and John Ballard; sisters-in-law, Sharon Ballard, Jan (John) McFadden and Lorie (Steve) Chandler; nieces and nephews, Kelton, Brogan and Joseph McFadden; Joshua Ballard; Matthew, Clint and Kaylee Green; and cousin, Bernie (Darlene) Gratton, all of Boise; cousin, Art (Dorothy) Gratton of Emmett; numerous other relatives; Goddaughter, Adrienne Deshaies; Godson, Arthur Scully; very dear friends; and last, but certainly not least, a special pal, his loving dog, Charlie.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Corpus Christi House or a favorite charity.