Joseph Cuffe Van Gieson passed away Friday, September 1, 2017.
Joe, born March 5, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio to Paul Van Gieson and Evelyn (Cuffe) Van Gieson, soon thereafter moved to Pearl River, N.Y., where the family built its home on Cherry Brook. After serving in the U.S. Army, he lived in Providence, R.I. and Norwich, Conn.
Joe worked for General Dynamics in St. Marys, Ga. while living in Kingsland, Ga. with the love of his life, Molly. Joe always cared deeply for Molly, but in the last few years of Molly’s life, he demonstrated unparalleled diligence and dedication to her comfort and care until her death seven years ago.
Joe was an avid reader and an advocate of literacy and the pursuit of objective knowledge over a wide variety of disciplines. His acute curiosity never waned. He was a music aficionado and enjoyed varied styles. He loved to cheer for the Jacksonville Axemen rugby team and received an “MVP” patch from representatives of the team in August of this year.
Joe will be deeply missed by his family and many friends, most recently those in Georgia and Florida who were blessed to know him.
He is survived by his brother, Jim, and wife Kathy, of Foster, R.I.; his nephew, Ben, and wife, Lindsey, and their daughter, Hadley, of Sterling, Mass.; and his nephew, Mike, of Lincoln, Vt. He is also survived by his sister, Mary, and her husband, Richard Smith, of Riegelsville, Pa., and their daughter, Kate VG Smith, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Donations in Joe’s name to Journey4Youth Inc. will be warmly welcomed. Joe’s good friends, Brian and Katie Ernst, run this wonderful charity. Visit their website at journey4youth.org to make a donation. The organization helps rural villagers in southwest Kenya create long-term sustainable change.
