Joseph Bastian

1947 - 2022

Bastian, Joseph

Joseph John Bastian passed away May 29, 2022, after a valiant and nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Joe was born in Detroit on June 17, 1947 and was raised in Marshall, Mich. He attended Hamlin University in Minneapolis, Minn., graduating with a degree in mathematics. Joe received his PhD in mathematics from Indiana University. He began a teaching career at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, but was introduced to some extremely challenging technical work that was ongoing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and he soon became a contractor supporting the Federal Government.
Over the course of the next 20 years, Joe made major contributions to his field and built a substantial business for Ball Aerospace & Technologies. In 1996, Joe transitioned to the Ball Aerospace campus in Boulder, Colo., where he was highly successful in leading the development of new business supporting the Federal Government. He retired from Ball in 2011.
Not only was Joe recognized as an expert in the field of remote sensing from space, but he was a mentor to countless colleagues. Joe could always be counted on to explain the technical details of a problem, sometimes to the nth degree.
An athlete all his life, Joe enjoyed golf, swimming, skiing and biking, although after having both knees replaced, he stuck to golf and swimming. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, Jeanne, and his friends, with trips throughout Europe; the last, and perhaps the best, being to Slovenia and Croatia. Their most recent trip was to the Big Island of Hawaii this past January. Joe and Jeanne also established a winter home in Marana, Ariz., where he could play, golf and swim outside all winter.
Joe is survived by his wife, Jeanne Pattison, his sons Michael and Bryan Bastian, his brother William Bastian, sister Katherine Bastian Fisk, stepson Brandon Pattison, stepdaughter Kristina Cohrs, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and -nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Helen and Joe and sister Helen Marie (Sis).
A celebration of his remarkable life is planned for later this summer.