John Pearson Josephs

JOSEPHS, John Pearson, died Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at age 88, of metastatic prostate cancer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lyman Colt Josephs and Dorothy Pearson Josephs; his brother, Lyman Colt Josephs III; his sister, Mary Josephs Goodwin; and his first wife, Martha Paige Josephs. He is survived by their four children, a son, John Pearson Josephs Jr. and his wife, Mary Best Josephs, of Chester, Virginia; daughters, Mary Josephs Reilly and her husband, James Edgar Reilly, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, Betsy Hart D'Angelo and her husband, Christopher Scott D'Angelo, of Haverford, Pennsylvania, and Kate Pearson Josephs and her husband, Michael Joseph Herz, of Damariscotta, Maine. He was also preceded in death by his second wife, Annabel Stuart Josephs. He is survived by their daughters, Johanna Josephs Carrington and her husband, Tazewell Morton Carrington IV, of White Stone, Virginia, and Sarah Catherine Lyman Hellewell and her husband, Timothy Brooks Hellewell, of Lynchburg, Virginia. He is also survived by his wife, Jane Hopper Ware. He was the proud grandfather of 11 grandchildren. He is survived by two sisters-in- law, Miriam Newell Josephs of Rancho Bernardo, Calif. and Daphne Callister Pollicott of Ramsey, Isle of Man; and many nieces and nephews. John attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Yale University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He spent four years serving in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps during World War II in the Philippines and New Guinea. Following his years of service, he began work on electric transformers and torpedo engines with GE in Lynn, Massachusetts, Schenectady, New York, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. After 15 years in Pittsfield, John and his family moved to New York for a new job in the paper business with Oxford Paper. In 1970, they moved to Richmond where John worked for Ethyl, and finally, Media General for over 20 years. All his life, John enjoyed skiing, carpentry and travel. He was an avid reader on many varied subjects and an honorary member of Three Chopt Garden Club. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, at Grace and Holy Trinity Church, 8 N. Laurel St., Richmond, Va. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Fountain Valley School, 6155 Fountain Valley School Rd., Colorado Springs, Colo. 80911.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.