Jusel Moralde

Jusel "Joe" Moralde died peacefully in his sleep on October 16 in Chicago, IL at the age of 83. Jusel is survived by his singing sweetheart wife of 60+ years, Dorotea "Dori"; his children-Ferita, Gerald (Leonora), Rhodora (Alexander), Pamela (Gaspar), Jocelyn (TJ); grandchildren-Joel (Ashley), CJ (Courtney), Aron, Nina, Emma, Joaquin, Nathan, Johannes, and Samuel; siblings-Edith Ann (Alexandro, Sr), Esmeraldo "Nonot" Jr (Angela), and Raldo (Jennie); and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Febe and Esmeraldo, Sr, aka "Lolo and Lola Honey." Lovingly called "Ampa" by his grandchildren, Jusel will be remembered as a very affectionate husband, dad, and grandfather, who was fiercely protective of his family.
Jusel was born on Christmas Day in Legaspi, Albay in the province of Bicol, Philippines. He graduated from Lyceum University with a degree in English and studied two years of Law. Jusel and his "Bodyguard" Dori eloped in 1966 and recommitted in 1996. While in the Philippines, Jusel used his excellent writing skills and deep, booming voice in TV, radio, and media as an Executive Producer, newswriter, journalist, broadcaster, and as a Promotions and Advertising executive at Usiphil before immigrating to Chicago. He later worked as the Assistant General Secretary at the United Methodist Board of Pensions in Evanston, IL for many years before retiring from Xerox, Inc.
Jusel was blessed with an amazing singing voice and was always featured as a soloist in various church choirs. (Here's proof-click on the tribute video below to listen to one of his songs.) He passed down his love for music, especially American Standards and Jazz, to his children and grandchildren, who are also singers and musicians. A proud introvert and a chess Grandmaster, he played chess daily and lovingly teased his younger brother "Nonot" to "prepare to lose" every chance he had. Before chemo affected his taste buds, he was a foodie with a sweet tooth who loved watching food tour shows. You can bet he'd ask in Tagalog, "Meron bang matamis?" (English translation: "Is there anything sweet to eat?"). He was an avid weightlifter, a fan of action/mystery/crime/thriller films and TV shows, and admired Denzel Washington-his favorite actor. Even during grueling chemo and endless appointments at Northwestern Hospital, he would joke with staff when asked to confirm his bracelet tag: "The name is wrong. It should be Denzel Washington (sometimes he used Brad Pitt)."
Before moving out of Chicago in the early 2000s, Jusel was a dedicated member of Cosmopolitan United Church (CUC), its choir, and council. One of his major contributions was spearheading the use of multimedia production and audio-visual projection, which continues to be used during CUC's Sunday services and church events. As such, his Celebration of Life will be held:
Date: Sunday, November 2
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Cosmopolitan United Church, 1112 N 9th Ave, Melrose Park, IL
Reception: Refreshments will be served in the CUC fellowship hall.
Condolences: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made via Zelle or other methods. Please contact the Moralde family for secure instructions.
The Moralde family would like to thank the Hematology Oncology Team (Dr. Peng and Dr. Brown) and the Palliative Team (Dr. Wagner and Terra Solve) at Northwestern Hospital for their compassion and expertise. We're also eternally grateful to our cousins, Emmalisa, Jason, and Rochelle Moralde for flagging his scans and their constant guidance, which gave us a couple more years to enjoy our dad. Finally, to our family friends, the Javiers (Pong, Merlyn, Jay, Pearl, and Joni), thank you for your continued love and support all these years.