Albert "Al" Joseph

JOSEPH Albert "Al" Albert "Al" Joseph, former Toledoan, former president of Hunter Publishing Co., Des Plaines, IL, and a force behind the rise of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, died March 22, 2008, at his home in Northbrook, IL. He was 87. Al died peacefully of natural causes with his caregiver, Agnieszka Ochocka, at his side and his loving wife of 64 years, Rosemary, nearby. Al was a legendary philanthropist, an outstanding church leader, an astute and forward-thinking businessman, a brilliant public speaker and writer, and a keen outdoorsman. His incomparable zest for life, knowledge and ambition set him apart. When Al assumed a task, no matter how daunting, everyone knew it would get done - and get done right. His story is a classic rags-to-riches tale: A child of the Great Depression achieves the American Dream. His parents, George and Edna (Jamra) Joseph, passed through Ellis Island in 1904 from their home in Kfeir Hasbaya, Lebanon. Albert was born on November 30, 1920, in Barnes City, Iowa. A few years later, the family moved to Toledo. Like millions of others at that time, Al and his family struggled to escape poverty. As a young man, he sold newspapers, apples and pencils on the streets of Toledo. He also worked at his father's store, George Joseph Groceries, at Monroe and Superior. The hunting prowess Al demonstrated later in life began on the banks of the Maumee River, near his North Toledo home, where he tracked birds with his trusty .22. Also as a youth, Al formed a lifelong bond with a group of Lebanese and Syrian friends and cousins. In 1938, the group formed the Kappa Chi fraternity, which met twice monthly for 60 years. Al attended the old St. John's school and graduated from the former Macomber High School. He put himself through the University of Toledo, where he earned a bachelor of philosophy. He followed that with one year of law school. He served three-and-a-half years in the Navy during World War II as a Lieutenant Boat Group Commandeer in the Pacific Theater. In 1944, Al married his girlfriend, Rosemary Mercurio, also of Toledo. They had four children. When he returned from the war, Al initially worked for his uncle, Al Jamra, at the former A.H. Jamra wholesale candies and tobacco. He then entered the automotive industry in 1946 as an assistant advertising manager of the AP Parts Corp., in Toledo. In 1964, after rising to advertising director, Al moved to Chicago where he joined Hunter Publishing as executive vice president and publisher. At the time, the company published a variety of trade magazines serving the automobile industry. Soon after, Al bought the company and expanded the number of magazines from three to nine, which served a variety of industries. In his role as publisher, Al used the magazines to express his views on relevant topics of the day, often writing boldly - and brilliantly - about controversial subjects. Because of his intellect and extraordinary communication skills, he was in great demand as a speaker at industry conventions for decades. Al was deeply involved in many activities related to his business. He was a member and former president of the Automotive Advertisers Council from 1946 until he sold Hunter Publishing and retired in 1988. In 1984, he received the Triangles Award presented by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, a group of over 400 automotive manufacturers. It's the highest honor the MEMA bestows, and it is the only one ever given to a publisher. Among the other groups that recognized Al's contributions to the industry were the Automotive Services Industry Association, the Iowa Automotive Wholesaler's Association, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, and the Car Care Council. Al's passion was big game hunting, which he pursued in Africa, Mongolia, Tibet, Russia, Alaska, Spain, Canada, and all throughout the United States. But he was more than a hunter: Al worked with the Illinois Chapter of Safari Club International to create educational programs for children. In 1992, in recognition of his generosity, the group created The Al Joseph School for Youth Outdoor Education. In his later years, Al's greatest joy came from his philanthropic work, which he was free to pursue full time after he retired. Using the proceeds from the sale of his company, he generously supported all sorts of groups, causes and individuals. If the cause was worthy - a teenager needing college tuition, a young woman seeking to do missionary work in Central America, a youngster requiring a medical procedure, building a World War II memorial in Washington, feeding families from Mexico to Palestine to the south side of Chicago - Al supported it. Certainly Al's greatest accomplishment was his work for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, the nation's premier center for research and treatment of children with leukemia. He was there at the beginning nearly 50 years ago with the founder, Danny Thomas, a childhood friend who referred to Al as his brother. Among his many duties and contributions, Al served a lengthy stint as the hospital's board chairman and was a zealous fundraiser for the hospital. He remained on the St. Jude's board in various capacities throughout the rest of his life. In recognition of his efforts at St. Jude's, he was named Man of the Year and made an honorary citizen by the city of Memphis. Today, St. Jude's has become one of the largest charities in America, with assets of over a billion dollars and a facility spread over two million square feet. Among the scores of other charities, educational and civic groups Al supported were the University of Chicago, Steppenwolf Theater Company, WTTW, the Union League Club's Boys and Girls Club, and the University of Toledo. At UT, a library he founded is dedicated to his brother, Carl, who was killed on D-day in France. An Antiochian Orthodox Christian, Al was an active and generous supporter of his church. He founded the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a lay order of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He served as its chairman seven years. He co-founded the St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Naples, FL, near a home he owned on Marco Island. He served 13 years on the board of directors of the Antiochian Archdiocese. He has greatly supported his own church, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in the Chicago area, and that of his wife's, St. Norbert's, in Northbrook, IL. He also served as Chairman of the Board of his church in Toledo, St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church on Harroun Road in Sylvania, a church he generously supported throughout his life. Among his many awards, Al was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Phoencian Club of Chicago in 1998, the Humanitarian of the Year by the Midwest Foundation of the American Syrian-Lebanese Club in 1993, and the Man of the Year by the St. Philip Eastern Orthodox Church. Other organizations that have honored him for his leadership and generosity include such diverse groups as The American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, the Better Boys Foundation, the B'nai B'rith Youth Services, the Old Newsboys Goodfellow Association of Toledo, the Life Dance Theater, the Friendly Center Association of Toledo, the Kiwanis Club, and the underprivileged children of Ellerbe, NC. In 1992, Al became the third recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arab-American Business and Professional Association. The two previous recipients were Rafik Hariri, the late Prime Minister of Lebanon, and John Sununu, former chief of staff to President George H. Bush. Al's knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs was such that over the years his advice was sought by congressmen, senators, and even a few U.S. pres