HONORABLE JUDGE JOSEPH LIAN Jr.

LIAN, Honorable Judge Joseph Jr. Retired First Justice Worcester Probate and Family Court Honorable Judge Joseph Lian, Jr., 91, of Worcester and Dennis, a retired First Justice of the Worcester Probate and Family Court, passed away on Friday, December 5, 2025, with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Lorraine M. (Kouri) Lian; his daughter, Cynthia Lian Henderson and her husband Dennis Henderson of Worcester; his son, Joseph Lian III of Ashland, Oregon; his two granddaughters, Lianne Henderson, Esq. and her husband Aaron Vigneault and Erica Henderson and her husband Aaron Griffing; and three great-grandchildren, Rory, Mae, and Marlow; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. In addition to his parents, three sisters, Yvonne Russell, Eleanor Hajjar and Adele Azar, all predeceased him. Judge Lian was born in Worcester to the late Joseph and Freda (Halal) Lian. Raised in Worcester, Joseph attended Worcester public schools and graduated from St. John's High School, in 1951, and Holy Cross College, in 1955. Upon graduating from Holy Cross, he was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy and served as Gunnery Officer aboard the USS Yellowstone (AD-27) and later as Operations Officer of the Military Sea Transportation Office in Norfolk, Virginia. He retired from the United States Naval Reserve in 1967 with rank of Lieutenant Commander. After separation from active duty in 1957, Judge Lian matriculated at Boston College Law School, from which he received a Juris Doctor degree and became a member of the Massachusetts bar in 1960. Lorraine received a PHT degree from BC (Putting Hubby Through). He joined the law firm of Yagjian, Hart, Lian and Zarrow under the tutelage of his uncle, the late George J. Lian, and soon became managing partner, a position he held until his appointment to the bench by Governor Michael S. Dukakis in March 1990. Judge Lian served in the Probate and Family Court until his retirement in January 2004, serving as First Justice for the last five years of his tenure. Upon retirement, he became of counsel to the firm of Mountain, Dearborn and Whiting, working with his nephew, attorney Francis J. Russell, until 2011, when he was recalled to the bench and sat until his second retirement in 2014. Long active in bar and court matters, Judge Lian was a member and a past president of the Worcester County Bar Association, a member and past Board of Delegates member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, a life member and past trustee of both the Worcester County and Massachusetts Bar Foundations, and a member and past treasurer of the Massachusetts Judges Conference. As a judge he served as a seminar panelist on family law issues for the Massachusetts and Worcester County Bar Associations, the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. and Suffolk University Law School Advanced Studies. Judge Lian served on the Supreme Judicial Court committees on the Judicial Code of Ethics and for the study of substance abuse, and was a member of the Supreme Judicial Court Historical Society. Judge Lian was also a past president of the Worcester County Law Library Association and a former trustee of the Law Library Trust. He served several terms as a director of the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts. After leaving the bench he was a volunteer lawyer and lawyer for the day at the Probate and Family Court. He was a member of the St. Thomas More Society and received its Distinguished Attorney award in 1989 and its Distinguished Jurist award in 2003. Judge Lian received the Probate and Family Court Judicial Excellence Award from the Massachusetts Judges Conference in 2000. Judge Lian was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Melkite Catholic Church in Worcester, where he served several terms on its parish council and was past president of the parish men's club, the Melkite Knights. He was the first chairperson of the Melkite Catholic Eparchial Council, having co-authored its constitution and by-laws. He also served on the Eparchial finance committee. In 1976, Lian was presented the Cross of Jerusalem by Maximos Hakim, then Patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Rite. For over forty years, Lian co-chaired the annual Lenten Supper at his parish to raise funds for the benefit of orphans and chronically ill children in Lebanon. He was a member of the First Friday Club of Worcester. In 2016, Judge Lian and his wife, Lorraine, received the St. Julie Award from Notre Dame Academy for their volunteer efforts to their church and other charitable groups and their support of the Academy. In 2000, Judge Lian was selected an Honoree of the Nick Manzello Galaxy of the Stars. Judge Lian was a member and corporator of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, a former member and past president of the Syrian-Lebanese-American Association, a member of the Society of American Baseball Researchers, the Boston Braves Historical Society, Worcester Mechanics Hall, the retired Men's Club of Greendale, the Shrewsbury Men's Club and the Grafton Hillers. He was also a member of the St. John's, Holy Cross and Boston College Alumni Associations, the Holy Cross Clubs of Greater Worcester and Cape Cod, the Holy Cross Lawyers Association and the O'Callahan Society. Friends, relatives and associates are invited to gather for Calling Hours, Wednesday, December 10th, from 4 pm to 7 pm, in the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel, 370 Plantation St. The Funeral will be held Thursday, December 11th, from the funeral home, with a procession to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 256 Hamilton Street, where his Service will be held at 11:00 am. Burial in Hope Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances in his name can be made to Notre Dame Academy, 425 Salisbury Street, Worcester, 01609 or Community Legal Aid, 370 Main St., Suite 300, Worcester, MA 01608. Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel Worcester, MA

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