Obituary of William E. Joseph

William E. Joseph Sr., age 68 of Niagara Falls, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday November 10, 2013 in the Veterans Administration Hospital in Buffalo, after a lengthy illness. William was born December 20, 1944 in Niagara Falls, NY, the son of the late Carl and Veronica (Elliott) Joseph. A lifelong resident of Niagara Falls, he attended LaSalle High School and went on to serve as a crew chief in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam from 1967-1968. Staff Sgt. Joseph was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for "sustained acts of heroism" during the war. William was offered the position of crew chief on Air Force One, but he declined. He went on to work for Bell-Aerospace and later retired from Harrison Radiator in Lockport. William was a talented mechanic and enjoyed restoring classic cars, building models, and collecting trains. He also loved music and will be remembered for playing the guitar and singing country music and the blues. He will also be remembered for his humble nature and integrity. He is survived by three children, William E. (Sandra) Joseph, Jr. of Youngstown, Jared Joseph of Boston, MA, and Alicia Joseph of Lockport; his grandchildren, Zachary, Julia, Jacob, Austin, Jayden, Vivian, and Reille; his former wife, Phyllis (Nolan) LeClaire; and two brothers, Carl and Michael Joseph. He was predeceased by a grandson, Jeffrey. Services will be private at the convenience of the family. Memorials may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America ( www.vva.org). Arrangements have been entrusted to HARDISON FUNERAL HOME, 3648 Ransomville Road, Ransomville.