JOSEPH MICHAEL GRABER

Not one day passes without my thoughts of my deceased family members. This includes my brother Joseph. We should remind ourselves that we also will one day leave this life and that the humility it brings us is necessary to understand the great importance of our lives. My brother actually did something with his life and lived his life dream of education, world travel, teaching, and earth conservation. I am a witness of his life and those who know him are the better for his knowledge and wisdom.

Hard to believe that it will be seven years since my brother Joe passed away in 2014. Joe lived his life as was a teacher, prospector, hiker, world traveler, spanish speaker, reader, lecturer, trumpet player, musician, poet, astronomer, photographer, writer, nature lover, Tucson desert rat, artist, geologist, mountain climber, high school championship marching band member, trivia geek, Grateful Dead fanatic, storyteller, post card sender, history buff, human and animal rights activist,...

The cold, sunny, dry Sacramento December reminds me of winters in Tucson. Joe—thinking about you and our times together back then.

Hey, Joe, I remember our times under the desert moon. I think of you every time I go backpacking.

Many, many memories of Joe..."'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." - Alfred Lord Tennyson
No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever. Francois Mauriac
I have not seen Joe for 40 years...do I remember YES, fondly. Joe left me with 3 things I still have a red yarn rose procured on a motorcycle trip to the Belleville flea market, a soft gray-blue poncho with fringe that he gave me upon returning from AZ...

Joe was a great friend when I was at Penn State and though I lost touch with him in the mid 80's I remember the great times we had. Joe had a great sense of humor and a great perspective on life.

Joe touched so many lives in so many ways, as a teacher and ... well, I guess he was always teaching! His eternal enthusiasm was a great antidote to boredom or discouragement, too. I can't believe that all that energy isn't somehow still with us, even in the fond memories, smiles and laughter when we think of him. Our hearts go out to you, Cheryl, and we send many hugs your way.

Joe was a good friend. We lost touch over the years, but it seems like only yesterday that we were roommates at PSU. My condolences to the family!

I'm sorry this took so long for me to get together but after a 40+ year history with Joe it was difficult to figure out what to write. There are so many memorable moments. When I first met Joe at Penn State, he was living in the first coed living experiment at the University, The Shelter. It was housed in an old fraternity house and was the scene of many fun and strange events. After all, it was the sixties! In November 1972, group of us including Joe packed up and moved to Arizona. Joe...