Joseph Lawrence Petela

To my best and longest friend. You are deeply missed.

It's almost a month since I lost my brother Joseph and I still have a difficult time understanding why God chose him now. He was so strong throughout his illness and gave us all the strength that we would need to accept his fate.I'm saddened that Carly will never know how wonderful her father was and Carmen's 7 years with Joseph was too short.
I miss him dearly and pray that God gives us the strength to understand why.

Joseph's smile!
His contagious laugh!
How he enjoyed being with people.The way he held Frankie John up to see Zdislaw's ship pass by the Pavilion on the Terrace. And the way he carried him up the tall, tall rickety boarding plank at the pier. Making sure the wide eyed wonder of it all was seen by a little boy's eyes.
I remember the debates at Babci's on Sunday during ANY SPORTS season.
I learned alot about baseball from the guys crammed in the TV room.
...

I am blessed to have a cousin like Joseph, and blessed to believe that he is God's angel. Otherwise the sadness would be too difficult to bear.

I know few people as considerate as Joseph. Someone you could talk to and just know how purely good they were. It didn't take long for his character to shine through.

I take comfort in the fact that he will ensure Carmen and Carly are well cared for. Just as he would have done had he continued to remain with us here on...

I just wanted to thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and thoughts for my brother Joseph. Joseph entered God's heavenly kingdom on Saturday, October 9, 2004 at 9:00am. We are very sad as a family; however, we know that Joseph is in God's hands, and is at peace.

I am VERY proud to have Joseph as my big brother. He demonstrated such strength and courage while he battled with stomach, esophogus and liver cancer. Joseph truly had God's strength in him to persevere. He...

My brother Joe Cool

Joseph was very special ... and I am so proud he was my Nephew.

Three weeks before Joseph died, unbeknownst he was in pain, we had a telephone conversation and spoke about prayer. Joseph wasn't angry with God. His strong faith, his courage and strength, was an inspiration to me! I will miss my dear cousin, Joseph, and that wonderful smile of his! I will never forget his goodness.
"When time to laugh and smile again
can ease our troubled minds
And we can pause, in time,
to look at sorrow left behind
We'll see the time we...

Joe will be missed, We grew up together. Best Friend for 30 years. There was good times and bad, great laughes and good cries. He has been like an uncle to my children. The Walczyk Family