Joe Roddy

1933 - 2022

RODDY

JOE RODDY (Age 88)

Died peacefully on April 9, 2022 at his home in comfort, amid people who loved him.

He was an enthusiastic sports fan; traveled widely; was well-read, but his greatest passion, which occupied the preponderance of his life energy was family. He married first, Claire Ordway, in 1959, with whom he had four sons, including baby David who died as an infant. Tragedy was further compounded by Claire's death a few years later. The remaining foursome lived a rough and tumble existence until a more civilized era following his marriage, in 1977, to Lorraine Antoinette (Toni) Johnston (née Lilly) the widow of James Johnston. The three children from her marriage completed this newly constituted family of eight.

Norman Joseph Roddy first saw light on September 16, 1933. A Washington, DC native, he was the son of Norman Leo and Helen (O'Toole) Roddy. He never cared for his given first name, and though the family called him "Sonny" he just went by "Joe." His siblings, Jeanne, Helen, Joan, Tom and Debbie predeceased him, making him the patriarch and eminence grise of the Roddy clan. In addition to his first son, he lost his son, John David, in 2002.

Upon graduating from Georgetown Prep (class of '51), he attended Villanova University (BA, 1955). After college he began his service in the U. S. Navy, and the U.S. Naval Reserves, receiving a commission as Lieutenant. His education continued after the Navy to American University, where he earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration in 1969. His professional experiences included such varied occupations as selling encyclopedias and office furniture, but the bulk of his professional life was in the engineering and marketing of computers, both to government and private business.

An exhaustive list of those he mentored, helped and advised would be overwhelming. His legacy as a stalwart man and loving human may be best represented in his remaining five children: Buzz, Scott Johnston, Pam (Johnston Boland), Kristin (Johnston Wardour) and Charles; his 12 grandchildren on which he doted: James, Matt, Liza, Faith, Patrick, Ryan, Connor, Sarah, Luke, Lilly, Colin and Will as well as his beloved Toni.

Mass of Christian burial Friday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Ann's RC Church, 4001 Yuma St. NW, Washington, DC. Reception after the Mass at the Chevy Chase Club. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts can be sent to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School 1524 35th St. NW, Washington, DC 20007, Attn: Deborah Roddy Scholarship Fund. Please view and sign the family's online guestbook at www.devolfuneralhome.com